Council Of Legal Education Public Notice on the Nigeria Law School

COUNCIL OF LEGAL EDUCATION NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL

NON- RECOGNITION OF THE LL.B DEGREE PROGRAMME OF THE NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

The Council of Legal Education again announces for the benefit of the general public that the LL.B Degree Programme offered by the National Open University of Nigeria is not approved.

The policy of the statutory bodies responsible for the training and admission of aspirants to the Nigerian Bar, i.e. the Council of Legal Education and the Body of Benchers is that the study of Law must be undertaken on full time basis, in recognized Institutions for the provision of undergraduate studies. This is also the position of the Professional Body of Lawyers in Nigeria – The Nigerian Bar Association.

Consequently, the regulatory bodies have long proscribed the study of law through Part time, Distance Learning or Correspondence Studies and it was in consequence of this, that the Part time LL.B Programmes run by the Faculties of Law of accredited Universities were abrogated. The position of the bodies has been that every aspirant for the Legal Profession must undertake an undergraduate study on full time basis, in a recognized Faculty of Law. This is because the study of Law transcends knowledge acquisition alone, as it involves the moulding of future entrants to the Bar in learning, character and attitudes.

The National Open University of Nigeria is not within the ambit of institutions envisaged by these bodies to offer a Law degree programme. Indeed, the National Open University of Nigeria has always been informed of this position; and its decision to commence and run the Law Programme was in defiance of this policy.

Any person who undertakes the study of Law at the National Open University of Nigeria is to note that the qualification obtained is unacceptable for admission to the Nigerian Law School for Bar Vocational training.

E.O. MAX-UBA (MRS.)

SECRETARY TO COUNCIL AND

DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION