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INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL METHOD

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Suleiman Ikpechukwu Oji
INTRODUCTION TO
LEGAL METHOD
New Edition

Suleiman Ikpechukwu Oji, Ph.D

Lecturer, Faculty o f Law,
Usman Danfodiyo University
Sokoto, Nigeria

ABABA PRESS LTD

Published by
Ababa Press Ltd
59, Oyo Road, Coca Cola Area
Sango, Ibadan.
08033521050, 08033521127,
(e-mail: ababa bks2003@yahoo.com)

© Suleiman Ikpechukwu Oji, Ph.D

ISBN: 978-978-48099-8-6

First Published 2011

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Other than for reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without
the permission of the copyright owner and the publishers.

Cataloguing in Publication Data

Suleiman Ikpechukwu Oji, Ph.D

In tro d u ctio n to L eg a l M eth o d
New Edition

xii
includes bibliographic, references and index

1. Law - Nigeria
 PREFACE

This book was published in 2001 with the title ‘Lecture Notes on
Legal Methods”. Since that publication new ideas and principles
were uncovered and I felt it was beneficial to incorporate these in
the book in order to enrich its contents. The areas o f the law and
freedom, law and sovereignty, legalism, use of research materials,
natural law theory, legislative process and open texture have been
greatly updated or introduced.
Legal method is a compulsory core law subject. It seems to be
amalgam of various theories of law, as it touches virtually various
facets of law courses. This makes the subject diverse in content.
Available text books wherein principle relevant to legal method are
found and written by eminent jurists, revealing the fact that the
degree o f analysis o f legal theories, articulation, language and
presentation of relevant materials in such text books, have their
advantages and disadvantages. For the young students in their first
year of study o f law, books o f such nature, presents conceptual
difficulty , vis-a-vis understanding o f legal theories and legal
terminologies. This is a disadvantage. Again, since there is presently
no comprehensive text-book on the subject, it means toil may be
wasted and precious time- lost as a result of students having to
consult a host of textbooks only to discover that analysis of theories
are far beyond their comprehension. This makes learning boring
and frustrating. This book therefore, aims at providing a panacea
for this hardship.
It was this realization that prompted this work. The main
objective, therefore, is to provide a comprehensive volume written
within the framework o f the syllabus for legal method. This book is
written basically for undergraduate students in their threshold of
legal education. Nevertheless, adherent of legal institutions will find
this book useful to update or renew their knowledge on certain
aspects of legal jurisprudence. As an author is always indebted to a
number o f people who rendered some assistance to him in
producing a book, I would like to express my profound gratitude
to the entire library staff, Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University
Zaria. (where I spent some years during my doctorate programme)

v
who proved o f immense assistance to the research effort that
accounted for updating the contents o f this book. My sincere thanks
also go to those who played a role one way or the other to the
production of this book.

Sulieman Ikpechukwu Oji,

(Ph.D )

vi
 CONTENTS

Preface..................................................................................... v
Contents....................................................................................... v/i
Tables of Statutes.......................................................................... x
Table of Cases................................................................................ xi
Abbreviations............................................................................... xii

A. CHAPTER ONE - NATURE OF LAW

1. Nature of L a w ..................................................................... 1
2. Natural law School................................................................3
3. The Early Greek philosophers................................................ 4
4. The Stoic Philosophers........................................................... 6
5. The Positivist School.............................................................. 7
6. The Sociological School...................................................... 10
7. Historical School-German, Positivists........................... 12
8. Historical School - The British Theorists............................. 13 ,
9. Nature and Functions o f Law in Society........................... 15
10. Law and Legitimacy............................................................ 22
11. Law and Justice.................................................................. 24
12. Law and Sovereignty........................................................... 30
13. Law and Morality................................................................ 37
14. Law and the State................................................................ 43
15. Law and Freedom................................................................ 44

B. CHAPTER TWO - ASPECTS OF LAW

1. Aspects of Law- types of Law-Classification of L a w .......... 53
2. Eternal L a w ......................................................................... 53
3. Divine Law ......................................................................... 55
4. Human or Positive L a w ....................................................... 56
5. Common L a w ...................................................................... 57
6. Equity................................................................................ 58
7. Civil Law and Criminal Law ................................................ 61
8. Public and Private Law ........................................................ 62
9. Written and Unwritten L a w ................................................ 62

vii
C. CHAPTER THREE - METHODS OF SOCIAL CONTROL
THROUGH LAW
1. Methods of Social Control through L a w ............................. 64
2. The Panel Technique.......................................................... 70
3. The Grievance - Remedial Technique.................................. 72
4. The Private Arranging Technique....................................... 73
5. The Constitutive Technique................................................. 74
6. The Administrative - Regulatory Technique........................ 75
7. The Fiscal Method................................................................ 75
8. The Conferral of Social Benefits technique..........................75

D. CHAPTER FOUR - LEGAL REASONING AND APPROACH

TO PROBLEMS
1. Legal Reasoning and Approach to Problems .......................77
2. Language of the Law ........................................................... 79
3. Standard, Principles and Issues in L a w .............................. 82
4. Legal Rhetoric and Legal L ogic........................................... 83
5. Legalism............................................................................... 84
6. Legislative Process............................................................... 90
7 The Open texture of L a w ................................................... 99

E. CHAPTER FIVE - LEGAL REASONING IN JUDICIAL

PROCESS
1. Legal Reasoning in Judicial Process ..................................107
2. Ratio decidendi.................................................................. 108
3. Precedent........................................................................... I l l

F. CHAPTER SIX - LEGAL REASONING IN LEGISLATION

1. Legislative Drafting........................................................... 116
2. Construction of Statute..................................................... 120
3. Types of Legislation........................................................... 126
4. Codification o f L a w .................... 130
5. Vagueness.......................................................................... 134
6. Am biguity.......................................................................... 138

vm
 G. CHAPTER SEVEN -SOURCES OF LAW
1. Sources of L aw ...................................................... 244
2. Primary Sources..................................................... 144
3. Secondary Sources..................................................... 245
4. Significance of Legislation as a source of la w ...................146
5. Sources of Nigerian L a w .......................................... Z......149

H. CHAPTER EIGHT - THE USE OF SOURCE MATERIALS

I. Use of Source Materials......................................... 259
2. Guided tour of the library......................................... 261
3. Legal Research.......................................................... 266
4. Indexing and Classification of Library materials............ 172
5. Law and Fact........................................ ............... 279

I. CHAPTER NINE - AUTHORITATIVE ELEMENTS IN BOOKS

AND JUDICIAL OPINIONS, ANALYZING AND NOTE
TAKING
I. Authoritative elements in books and judicial opinions
analyzing and note taking................................................ 285

J. CHAPTER TEN - USE OF AUTHORITIES IN LEGAL

ARGUMENTS AND LEGAL WRITING.
1. Use of Authorities in Legal Arguments andLegal Writing........ 194
2. Legal w ritin g............................................................... 298
3. Method/Style of W riting.......................................... 206

Itidcjc.............................. ...... . 209

IX
 TABLES OF STATUTES

1. African Charter on Human and Peoples Right

2. European Community Act 1972
3. Criminal Code. (Cap 77. Laws o f the Federation. 1990)
4. Sokoto State Shariah Penal Code 2000
5. Judicature Act 1873
6. Penal Code (Cap.89. Laws o f the Federation. 1990)
7. Evidence Act (Cap .112.Laws o f the Federation. 1990)
8. Wills Act 1837
9. Wills Amendment Act 1858
10. Ordinance No.3.1862
11. Constitution o f Federal Republic o f Nigeria.

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