Indepth "Criminal Law in Nigeria in the Last 53 years: Trends and Prospects" Flashcards
What is the fundamental role of criminal law in society, according to the article?
Criminal law is crucial for maintaining law and order. It signals societal disapproval of actions and omissions that harm society and violate moral norms worthy of legal protection. It must evolve with society and respond to contemporary realities.
What marked a turning point in the development of Nigerian criminal law?
Nigeria’s independence from Britain in 1960. However, the influence of British colonial heritage remained significant.
What was the state of Nigerian substantive criminal law post-independence?
It largely retained English concepts of criminal responsibility and principles, with the exception of the Northern States (and to a lesser extent, Lagos State). There was, however, significant legislative activity at the federal level.
What is the central objective of Bello’s paper?
To examine how legislative powers used to enact criminal laws in Nigeria have responded to emerging realities, both domestically and internationally.
Where did the legislative competence of the Parliament of the Federation of Nigeria and the Regional Legislatures originate in 1960?
The Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria 1960 (‘1960 Constitution’).
What power did the 1960 Constitution grant to the Parliament?
The power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Federation.
What kind of legislative activity occurred at the federal level post-independence?
“Tremendous legislative activity” occurred with respect to criminal legislation falling within federal legislative powers.
What activity happened at the state level?
Legislative activity also occurred at the state level.
What did the author observe about legislative initiatives at both the Federal and State levels?
A common trend was noticeable, despite differences in the scale of reform.
What is the key question examined in the article regarding responses to issues?
The extent to which developments in substantive criminal law at the federal and state levels have responded to domestic and international criminal law issues.
What does the final section of the article contain?
The conclusion and projections for the future of criminal law in Nigeria.
What is ‘substantive criminal law’?
The part of the law that defines crimes and their punishments, as opposed to procedural law (how cases are handled).
What is the significance of 1960 in Nigerian legal history?
It marks Nigeria’s independence and the beginning of a new era in its legal development, though colonial influences persisted.
What is legal pluralism?
The existence of multiple legal systems within a single jurisdiction (e.g., customary law and English-derived law).
What was the source of legislative competence for criminal laws in Nigeria in 1960?
The Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria 1960 (“1960 Constitution”).
What general power did the 1960 Constitution give to the Parliament of the Federation?
The power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Federation regarding matters included in the Legislative Lists.
What were the two main Legislative Lists established by the 1960 Constitution?
The Exclusive Legislative List and the Concurrent Legislative List.
What was the legislative power of the Regions (later States) under the 1960 Constitution?
They could make laws on matters not included in the Exclusive Legislative List and on matters listed on the Concurrent Legislative List.
What were matters not listed in either the Exclusive or Concurrent Lists called, and who had legislative competence over them?
They fell under the Residual Legislative List and were within the competence of the Regions.
What was an important addition to the Parliament’s legislative powers?
Its powers extended to any matter incidental or supplementary to any matter referred to in the Exclusive Legislative List. This also included the power to create offenses related to matters on both the Exclusive and Concurrent Lists.
Was the power to create offenses explicitly mentioned as a separate power in the Exclusive or Concurrent Lists?
No. This implied that the power to create offenses generally fell within the legislative competence of the Regions.
What specific types of offenses fell within the legislative competence of the Parliament under the 1960 Constitution?
(a) Offenses against the Nigerian State or the Federal Government, its agencies, functionaries, or property.
(b) Offenses against public order and public safety (excluding offenses against regional/state governments).
(c) Creation of criminal offenses related to matters on the Exclusive Legislative List.
(d) Creation of offenses related to matters on the Concurrent Legislative List.
What was the general trend regarding the sharing of legislative powers in later Nigerian Constitutions (1963, 1979, and 1999)?
These constitutions retained the basic scheme of sharing legislative powers, empowering the Federal Government to legislate solely on matters in the Exclusive Legislative List and jointly with the States on matters in the Concurrent Legislative List (subject to federal laws covering the field). States retained the power to legislate on matters not in the Exclusive List.
Did the 1999 Constitution change the fundamental distribution of legislative power over crimes?
No, it largely retained the previous system, with States having the power to legislate on crimes generally.