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2023 - Volume 6 - Number 1


Enhancing Rule of Law and Social Justice with the Principles of Separation of Power in Nigeria

Oladoyin Awoyale * ORCID: 0009-0008-2681-6469
Doyin Awoyale & Co Legal Practitioners & Arbitrators, Lagos, NIGERIA

Open Journal for Legal Studies, 2023, 6(1), 7-16 * https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojls.0601.02007a
Received: 22 March 2023 ▪ Revised: 28 April 2023 ▪ Accepted: 3 May 2023

LICENCE: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ARTICLE (Full Text - PDF)


ABSTRACT:
The principle of rule of law and separation of power is very essential in any sane democratic society. Without rule of law, life will be nasty and there will be anarchy in the society. The principle of separation of power maintains that the three arms of government in Nigeria must be separated from one another and their functions performed differently and independently, that is, one arm of government should not perform the function of the other. This paper is intended to state the rule of law and principles of separation of powers and checks and balances, its meaning and scope and its application by the makers of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the level of compliance with the principles in our constitutional experience and the attitude of the judiciary towards ensuring that the principle is preserved and complied with strictly. The relationship between the rule of law and social justice cannot be overestimated while the paper concluded that the operation of rule of law and social justice cannot be effectively felt without separation of power.

KEY WORDS: rule of law, government, Nigeria, separation of power, constitution.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Olayudin Awoyale, Doyin Awoyale & Co Legal Practitioners & Arbitrators, Lagos, NIGERIA.


REFERENCES:

Books
Barnett, H. (n.d.). Constitutional & Administrative Law. https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=barnett%20hilarie&cm_sp=det-_-plp-_-author.

Constitutional Law and Politics: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: 2: O’Brien, David M.: 9780393935509: Amazon.com: Books. (n.d.). https://www.amazon.com/Constitutional-Law-Politics-Vol-Liberties/dp/0393935507.

Website
Separation of Powers: An Overview. (2023, April 26). https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/separation-of-powers-an-overview.

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Balarabemusa v Kaduna State House of Assembly Suit No KDH 1/1981.

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Garba Vs University of Maiduguri 1981 1 NCLR 218.

Governor of Kaduna State Vs House of Assembly of Kaduna state 1982 3 NCLR (Vol 3) 229.

Governor of Lagos State Vs Chief Odumegwu Ojokwu 1981 1 NWLR (Pt 18) 633 at 634.

Hon. Edwin-Ume Ezeoke Vs AlhajiisaAliyuMakafi 1982 3 NCLR 166.

Inakoju v Adeleke 2007 NCSC 30, 2007 4 NWLR (Pt 1025) 427 Hon Micheal Dapialing V Chief (Dr) Joshua Dunye 2007 NGSC 148.

Military Governor of Ondo State Vs Adewumi 1988 JELR 479B(SC).

Okiti pupa oil palm Company limited Vs Hon. J. E. Jegede and others 1982 suit on How/8/80/1981.

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Statute

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Cap C. 23 LFN 2004.

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