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CUEA SCHOOL OF LAW Standard Principles of Equity My spouse and i History of equity Introduction from the doctrines of equity in Nigeria The relation between Equity and Common Rules Conflicts among Equity and Law Characteristics of equitable rights I Nature of equitable legal rights II UNIT 1 CONTENTS 1 . zero 2 . 0 3.

zero HISTORY OF FAIRNESS 4. 0 5. 0 6. 0 7. zero Introduction Aims Main content 3. one particular Law and equity 3. 2 Conscience 3. several Difference and conflict several. 4 Collateral and the common law inside the narrow feeling Conclusion Synopsis Tutor-Marked Assignments References / Further Studying 1 . 0 INTRODUCTION This really is an preliminary unit.

It introduces us to the law of collateral and how it was developed inside the court of Chancery in the uk. There is a useful literature upon equity jurisprudence, its origins, development and the part they have played in those countries having the common law while the foundation with their legal systems. From its origins to the present period, equity continues to be kept under strict and constant security. Its source and creation have been stressed and its primary principles have already been amplified bleary a identified attempt to make certain that the principles of equity usually do not fall behind society’s immediate demands and goals.

Equity arrived at mitigate the rigours from the common law. 2 . 0 OBJECTIVES (i) (ii) (iii) Trace the foundation of equity, Explain the notions of conscience, and Differentiate Collateral from the prevalent law. At the conclusion of this device you should be able to: 3. 0 3. you MAIN CONTENT MATERIAL Law and equity 4 Definition The phrase ‘equity’ literally means fairness. Equity is usually defined in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary 6th copy as “a system of all-natural justice allowing a fair view in a situation the place that the existing regulations are not satisfactory. To a person, the question ‘what is fairness? ‘ does not create virtually any difficulty.

Just means proper doing, uberrima fides, honest and ethical transactions in ventures and associations. Conception from the term ‘equity’ in this perception is usually classified as value in its many popular perception, which is of no juristic significance. In accordance to Jegede, for apparent reasons, not any municipal legal system, however highly created can take cognizance of or regulate every acts that may be inconsistent with this wide conception of equity. Additionally, the demands of the term value in this feeling are not able of enforcement, for they do not create or produce any kind of legal requirement.

Yet the make use of the term collateral in this sense is certainly not peculiar for the unlearned inside the science of law. However , the legal professional takes a diverse and more mindful view with the term ‘equity’ when it is employed in a limited nevertheless legal sense and clothed with the cloak of juristic significance. Juristic Sense of Equity The juristic perception of the term ‘equity’ might be subdivided into two, one complementary towards the other and both affecting the operations of regulation and rights by identified judicial tribunals.

In the first place, you have the general juristic sense with the term ‘equity’. Here ‘equity’ means the ability to meet the moral standards of justice in a particular case by a tribunal having discretion to mitigate the rigidity from the application of stringent rules of law in order to adapt the relief for the circumstances in the particular circumstance or a generous and humane interpretation of law on the whole, so far as that is possible without actual antagonism to the rules itself. In the second place, there is the technological sense of the term ‘equity’.

Equity in this sense means a special and peculiar office of the British legal system which was created, developed and administered in the Court of Chancery. This might be a satisfactory definition of English value before the Judicature Act of 1875 which gives for the administration of law and equity by the same conseil. According to Maitland, in his book “Equity (Brunyate Education. ) 49,  prior to 1875, ‘Equity is that body system of guidelines which is given only by simply those process of law which are referred to as Courts of Equity. Yet after 1875, it is will no longer satisfactory to define value in terms of a court, that is certainly, the Court docket of Chancery as distinctive from the various other superior courts. The Judicature Act of 1875 features amalgamated each of the superior process of law into a Great Court of Judicature applying both the guidelines of equity and the rules of prevalent law. As a result, ‘Equity now is that body of rules administered by simply our British courts of justice which, were it not for the operation from the Judicature Acts, would be used only simply by those tennis courts which would be known as Legal courts of Equity. The degree to which a similar definition can be applied to the technical rules of collateral received in the Nigerian Legal System will be discussed afterwards. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the court docket structure in the uk and Wales was in in pretty bad shape. The population was subject to the jurisdiction of any dual system of superior courts. On the one side were the three ‘common law’ tennis courts, viz ” the Common Pleas, the Queen’s Bench plus the Exchequer of Pleas. Alternatively was the The courtroom of Chancery. The three common law process of law had adult under the authority of the British kings during the Middle Ages.

We were holding known as courts of ‘common’ law since according to royal propaganda, that law applied to every 5 themes and the complete realm. Only an historical explanation may be offered to get why there was three these kinds of common rules courts with substantially overlapping jurisdictions. They could and often did give different answers to the same questions and there was not any reliable approach to ironing out those variations. But rules based on decision given in these types of common rules courts and in many cases the decision themselves had been in some cases getting denied or perhaps added to in the Chancery.

This was not by way of appeal. The common law judgment had not been formally put aside or corrected, the Chancery, while going out of it in one piece, simply issued an purchase which was inconsistent with that in the common rules judges. The constitutional placement was that this second purchase prevailed, going out of the common rules answer as an overshadowed solution to the challenge. These Chancery orders experienced come to be created by applying a body of doctrine and principles created initially by Chancellor and later by his subordinate the Master in the Rolls.

These kinds of rules, concepts and procession of the The courtroom of Chancery, bearing this kind of complex romance with the projet of the prevalent law, were to be known as Fairness. This human body of legislation did not, nevertheless , cover the whole area of organization which the common law tennis courts had taken as their jurisdiction. It was essentially a ‘private law’ jurisdiction, dealing with issues raised simply by private persons, protecting their particular private interests. There was not any involvement with the common law of criminal offenses. The principal concentrates of attention were the laws of property and contract. Only incidentally to these was it to develop a law of personal wrongs.

Value was not the only jurisdiction exercised in the Chancery, but it was your one which was going to leave the greatest impression on the development of the legal system. The system of justice used by the early on Chancery was based on common law rules, though the rules were implemented in a more liberal and more humane manner expecting to to achieving the end of justice. This is certainly borne from the fact that early petitions had been in respect of irrebatible legal errors, assaults, electric batteries, imprisonments, disseisins and a number of outrages natural in the se?orial society.

These kinds of wrongs were cognisable in the common regulation courts, yet were presented before the Chancery in sort of petitions as a result of inflexible location of the common law legal courts in respect of writs, and because of certain problems of the world which managed to get difficult pertaining to commoners and individuals of poor means to attain justice from your common law courts. several. 2 Notion Jurisdiction The jurisdiction from the Chancery in granting reliefs to the numerous petitions was based on cause, conscience and justice inside the administration of law.

Chancery had a popularity as a the courtroom administering someone discretionary proper rights in contrast to the inflexible monoliths of the prevalent law. If this was identified by all litigants in Chancery (or even prevalent law) may be doubted. Most of the jurisprudence from the court continues to be concerned with doing exercises the in depth administrative implications of having taken an earlier moral stance. Several decisions, just like much operations, have tiny reference to individuated notions of right and wrong. Nevertheless the tradition is fundamentally well based in fact it is impossible to see Equity circumstances of virtually any 6 eriod without being aware of it. Pre-17th century Chancery jurisdiction was vague and elastic. As noted before, Chancery legal system originated in the prerogative with the King to dispense extra-ordinary justice on the grounds of reason and conscience, where the ordinary techniques of prevalent law were inadequate or perhaps defective. The suitor or maybe the petitioner humbly prayed in the petition for the Chancellor for the exercise of the ‘King’s Grace’. Early Chancellor was a church-man, versed in the canon as well as the Roman legislation.

From his training and background, having been well skilled to deal with appeals to ‘Grace, Charity and Conscience’, it was a great elastic jurisdiction, the limit of which was difficult to determine. The early good the legal system is unknown. The history which leaves footprints began at the conclusion of the Dark ages in the early on 16th century. By that date, it might be said that the normal law tennis courts had in some areas become inadequate. Outside of the law of tort, that were there shown a great insufficient capacity to adapt to fresh claims, and the set varieties of writs particularly restricted the introduction of new problems and defences.

There was also dissatisfaction with common regulation remedies. Despite having taken the inspired decision to enforce rights of home in land by actually delivering it up by push, if need be, to its owner, it forced other legal rights, including home in chattels, as well as almost all contract and tort claims by a cash judgment. Finally, common regulation pleading had become both extremely complex and also a monument to single mindedness in its stubborn refusal to let more than one concern to be tried at a time. Change of these disorders by law was not viewed to be an answer.

Disappointed parties petitioned the King to get them out of the mess into which his common law courts got put them, and also to receive the regular justice, the fair and commonsense solution, the value, which they had been otherwise refused. According to Jeffrey Hackney in his publication “Understanding Equity and Trusts, p. 17-18, these petitions came to be observed by the King’s greatest official of point out, the Chancellor. By the early 16th century, he was offering decisions in the own name and had set up a legal system over freehold land.

It soon became a brand of Chancery thinking to emphasize ‘good faith’ and to charm to notions of ‘conscience’. The elimination of unconscionability may be the central informing thought. These thoughts of notion which do not physique prominently in the articulation of common rules rules will be familiar inside the canon rules. It is possible the fact that ecclesiastical history of early on Chancellors makes up about this emphasis. He discussed that, Step-by-step they began plugging the loopholes remaining by the common law’s weak points. Their pleadings were more flexible.

They gave orders to parties to perform things besides deliver up land or perhaps pay amounts of money so laid the foundation of the contemporary law of specific overall performance of agreements and of injunctions. They relieved against random hardship and certain kinds of oppressive behaviour. They allowed the creation and transfer of a completely new intangible house, the right to repayment of a debt, which progressed into the subset of law seen to us by archaic brand of the project of choses in action (‘things protected just by litigation’). Most considerably of all, that they invented the ‘use’, after to be reborn as the present day trust.

By this device, they can order that property kept on a prevalent law title by Con, as his own, ought to rather always be administered simply by Y just for the benefit of Times, the named beneficiary of the make use of. 7 This will often have consequence of any voluntary starting by Sumado a, but the idea would not. Of greater value still is that even if there have been a voluntary undertaking, this need not have been completely to X herself, but to a third party, often a relative of X, who conveyed the house to Con. Uses are not contract. In this manner, Chancellors recognized, supplemented and corrected the common law.

The principles of conscience are, yet , vague and uncertain and unless they are really guided within just well-defined limits, they may soon lead to something of proper rights based solely upon individual and autocratic discretion. The vague and extensive legal system of the early on Chancery could hardly for very long resist a few of the inflexible frame of mind of the common law attorneys, some of to whom later presided over the Chancery. Through their particular influence plus the improved studies of value cases in the centre 17th hundred years, Chancery split lost it is flexibility and adopted the most popular law system of precedent.

Therefore, equitable rules have since become because fixed and systemized as the common regulation rules. Rather than abiding by the dictates of conscience as well as the society’s thoughts of rights and fair play in the work out of the equity legal system, the Chancery, from the Chancellorship of Ellesmere (1595-1617), began to apply the doctrine of judicial preceding. SELF EXAMINATION EXERCISE 1 What do you comprehend by the term ‘equity’? a few. 3 Big difference and conflict According to Jeffrey Hackney (op. cit. ), pp. 8-19, the Chancellor’s decisions had commenced as individual decisions resolving individual issues or simply problems posed by careful trustees wondering what to do. There was ‘suits’ in the Chancery, not really actions, plus the Chancellor offered ‘decrees’ certainly not judgments. The contrast together with the regular courtroom system was enhanced by the absence of a jury through the Chancellor’s practice of not taking oral data. But a combination of repeated situation and a desire to take care of like situations alike was ultimately to drive the Chancellor into having a system of rules: equity was to become Collateral.

The early days of this advancement were not proclaimed by hatred from the common lawyers, in the sixteenth century that began to brew. Cardinal Wolsey, one of Holly VIII’s powerful Chancellors, experienced in the 1520’s caused very much resentment simply by his changing and intense behaviour. The socalled ‘common’ injunctions denying litigants however, right of access to common law tennis courts were also a cause of much chaffing. Matters arrived at a mind in the early on 17th 100 years when Coke, then Key Justice in the King’s Along with, challenged the best of the Chancellor, Ellesmere, to override prevalent law results.

Coke’s charm to the Full in 1616 failed. From that date they have not been questioned that when the rules of Equity and common law conflict, it is the rules of Equity which in turn shall dominate. This will be considered in detail in Unit 3 of this Module. 3. 5 Equity as well as the common legislation in the filter sense You will find two uses of ‘common law’: the wider consumption, meaning the whole of the royal law, includes Equity, the narrower usage, concentrating on the contrast, excludes this. If there was clearly resentment regarding the curve after 1616, it would not surface.

Relations between the two systems had been on the surface amicable, much aided by the diplomatic formulations of equitable guidelines which concealed the compound of what was going on: ‘we are not overturning the common law rules, almost 8 all our company is saying is that while Y may own at prevalent law, Times owns in Equity’, thus disguising the simple fact that Back button may be completely happy ” Sumado a may not. Evenly effectively, decisions were generally attributed to the demands of Collateral as if this were a lot of creature having a will of its own, a few personified virtue, some Marianne, pulling the strings in the judicial marionettes. Marianne can be an image of a woman personifying the French republic, e.. about French cash, usually depicted in a light flowing robe cocktail and wearing the Phrygian cap of liberty. (Marionette is a puppet operated by way of strings attached to its hands, legs, mind, and body). 4. zero CONCLUSION Early history of the jurisdiction of equity can be obscure. The history which leaves traces started out at the end from the Middle Ages in the early 16th century. By that time, it can be stated that the common law courts had in some areas become not enough. Outside the legislation of atteinte, they had proven an too little ability to adapt to new statements, and the collection forms of writs particularly estricted the development of fresh issues and defences. Fairness, therefore , came to relieve the rigours in the common regulation. 5. 0 SUMMARY This kind of unit has introduced you in brief to the rules of equity. You should certainly be able to: find the origin of equity, explain the notions of notion, and separate Equity from your common legislation. 6. zero TUTOR-MARKED TASK How is the conflict between common law and value resolved? several. 0 REFERENCES / EVEN MORE READING Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, sixth edition Hackney Jeffrey, (1987) Understanding Fairness and Société, London: Fontana press Jegede M. We. (2007rep. Rules of Value, Ibadan: Exceptional Design/Prints being unfaithful UNIT two CONTENTS 1 ) 0 2 . 0 a few. 0 INTRODUCTION OF THE PROJET OF VALUE INTO NIGERIA 4. 0 5. 0 6. zero 7. zero Introduction Aims Main articles 3. one particular Ordinances a few. 2 Customary law and equity several. 2 . 1 Repugnancy cortège and traditional law Summary Summary Tutor-Marked Assignments Recommendations / Additional Reading 1 ) 0 INTRO In the previous product, we traced the origin of equity, described the thoughts of mind and differentiated equity via common law in the filter sense. In this unit, we all will consider how the doctrines of equity were presented into Nigeria.

The modern specialized rules and doctrines of equity which usually originated from the early English Chancery were formally received in to the Nigerian legal system through various statutory enactments. These types of technical guidelines and projet of equity are the outcome of many old and modern English contencioso decisions, founded and ascertainable in the same manner while the common law rules. It seems to follow that any specialized rule of equity in force in Nigeria must have it is foundation or its ‘ancestry’ in an British case law. This is the concentrate of the this device. 2 . zero OBJECTIVES i) Explain the way the doctrines of equity were introduced into Nigeria, and (ii) Make clear the repugnancy doctrine. Right at the end of this product you should be capable to: 3. zero 3. 1 MAIN ARTICLES Ordinances English language law and doctrines of Equity had been introduced in Nigeria by way of local legislation. The to begin such legislations was Code No . 3 of 1863. Ordinance No . 3 of 1863 This kind of enactment commonly introduced The english language law into the territory of Lagos without the further examination. In the absence of any information or perhaps record for the interpretation of the laws and so ntroduced, it truly is reasonable to assume that the introduced laws had been individuals administered inside the practice in the English courts. As such, any reference to the laws of England can, by necessary implication be interpreted to incorporate not only the guidelines of common law nevertheless also the guidelines of eq10 uity as developed correspondingly in the English language common rules courts and the English Chancery Courts. Section 1 on this Ordinance No . 3 of 1863 launched all laws and charte, which were in effect in England on the 1st day time of January, 1863, and made them section of the laws in the Colony of Lagos.

The only limitation is that such regulations and code must not be sporadic with any kind of Ordinance in force in the Nest, and that they must be applied inside the administration of justice in terms of local situations would allow. Ordinance No . 4 of 1876 Section 14 of this Ordinance released more clearly, the British common legislation, the procession of collateral and loi of standard application that have been in force in the uk on the twenty fourth day of July, 1874, to be in force within the jurisdiction of the legal courts in the Nest of Lagos.

Because of the addition of the phrase, ‘doctrines of equity, ‘ in this Code, it is tempting to argue that Ordinance is definitely the forerunner of the introduction in Nigeria in the doctrines of equity. Consequently , it can be fairly asserted that the technical rules of equity as developed by successive Chancellors in England had been incorporated into the laws from the Colony of Lagos the first time only in 1876. Section 17 of the Ordinance manufactured the application of Real Laws susceptible to local circumstances and to virtually any existing or future Ordinance of the colonial legislature.

Section 18 of the same Ordinance also enjoined the British founded courts inside the Colony to observe the observance of the native laws and regulations and traditions of the people today belonging to the Colony, this sort of laws and customs not being ‘repugnant to natural justice, equity and good notion. ‘ This doctrine will be considered down the road at the end with this unit. Ordinance No . 17 of 1906 Consequent upon the merger of the Nest of Lagos with the Protectorate of The southern part of Nigeria on the 1st of January, 1900, this Code No . seventeen of 1906 was approved in order to make appropriate to the fresh Protectorate the provisions of Ordinance No . of 1876. Similar actions had before been consumed respect with the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria by means of Révélation. See section 4 in the Protectorate Tennis courts Proclamation, No . 4 of 1900. Code No . 3 of 1908 This Code repealed every existing enactments and re-enacted their provisions with small alterations. The Ordinance remained in force until it finally was finally superseded by the Supreme The courtroom Ordinance, 1914, which became applicable for the whole of Nigeria around the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria on the initial day of January, 1914.

The Substantial Court Code 1914 Among the objectives with the amalgamation in 1914 was the unification from the legal systems of the two administrations of Northern and Southern Nigeria. This aim was attained by the promulgation of the Supreme Court Ordinance which changed all the laws and regulations pre-existing inside the amalgamated models. The Ordinance introduced into the country, be subject to the usual booking of their becoming applied controlled by existing neighborhood laws and so far as regional circumstances would 11 ermit, the rules with the English common law, the doctrines of equity and statutes of general program which were in force in England on the 1st time of January, 1900. In this way, the rules from the English common law, the guidelines of English language Equity and Statutes of general app which were in force in England on the 1st day of January, 1900 were introduced in the whole of Nigeria. In 1952, the country adopted a quasi-federal Cosmetic whereby the country was broken into three parts ” East, Northern and Western Areas, with three legislative homes and a central Legislature in Lagos.

This was followed up in 1954 with the regionalisation of the judiciary to conform with the fresh constitutional plans which came into operation as 1952. In pursuance of this regionalisation with the judiciary, a Federal Supreme The courtroom, replacing the West Africa Court of Appeal was set up by Federal Constitution of 1954. A High Court docket and Magistrates’ Courts were established in each of the three regions of Asian, Northern and Western Areas.

The Federal government Territory of Lagos (separated from the American Region) was also supplied with a High Court and Magistrates’ Courts and so treated as though it were a region. Conditions were also manufactured in the Great Court Act, the Large Court Regulations and the Magistrates’ Courts Regulations of the parts and Lagos incorporating the principles of the English language common rules and the doctrines of collateral among other things, into the respective regulations to be used not only in the Federal Substantial Court, although also in the regional

Substantial Courts and the Magistrates’ The courtroom. (In the Northern Claims, however , if the Magistrates take a seat in their municipal jurisdiction they are designated as ‘District Judges’. See areas 3-7 with the District Courts’ Law (N. R. Number 15 of 1960). Remember that the word ‘Law’ is the status for a regional legislation, as the word ‘Ordinance’ was still retained for a national legislation. Since independence, nevertheless , all Laws enacted by the federal legislature became generally known as ‘Acts’.

Also, when the Mid-Western Region was carved out of the former European Region and constituted into a separate region in 1963 by the Federal Legislative house, Section 2 of the Mid-Western Region (Transitional Provisions) Action, 1963, specifically made every existing law which were in force in the European Region immediately before the creation of the fresh region to be the law in force in the fresh region right up until changed by the new Midwestern authority.

The result of this is a direct ingestion of the conditions of section 13 with the High The courtroom Law, 1955 (W. R) and those of section 13(1) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law, 1955 (W. R. ) into the regulation (that is usually to say the rules of prevalent law, the doctrines of equity plus the statutes of general application which were in force in England around the 1st working day of January, 1900) being administered inside the new Mid-Western Region Large Court as well as the Magistrates’ Legal courts.

Nigeria split up into 12 claims With impact from the 25th of May well, 1967, the nation was broken into twelve distinct autonomous States by the States (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Decree No . 14. Three of these fresh States, the East-Central, the South-Eastern plus the Rivers Says, were carved out of the past Eastern Nigeria. While 6 others, the North-Western, the North-Central, Kano, the North-Eastern, the Benue-Plateau and Kwara States had been carved out of the former North Nigeria.

The previous three management divisions of Badagry, Epe and Ikeja in the ex – Western Nigeria were also created out of the ex – Western Nigeria and combined with the National Territory of Lagos to create the new Lagos State. The other two were the Western plus the 12 Mid-Western States. Section 15 from the Decree Number 14 supplies that “all existing law in the region away of which a state under this kind of Decree is established shall have effect, subject to the modifications necessary to bring it into conformity with the conditions of this section.

Section 2(1) of the same Rule as amended by Section 2 from the Constitution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Rule, 1967, also provides the following: “(1) With no prejudice towards the provisions on this Decree in relation to the existing legislation, every neighborhood authority, court and other general public body which usually immediately prior to commencement of the Decree exercised its capabilities within a state as here constituted shall continue to exercise those features in the Condition. The combined effect of these provisions in relation to the law to become administered in the jurisdiction with the courts inside the new declares is two fold: (i) In relation to the law to become administered in the jurisdiction of the High Legal courts and the Magistrates’ Courts inside the Western and Midwestern States, it is the regulation as included in the High Court docket Laws plus the Magistrates’ Courts Law respectively in those two Declares prior to the creation of new Declares. ii) In relation to the laws to be implemented within the legislation of the Large Court as well as the Magistrates’ Courts in all the three Asian and each with the six Upper States, it’s the law respectively being used within the legislation of the Substantial Courts plus the Magistrates’ Courts in the ex – Eastern and former North Nigeria. The position of the High Court as well as the Magistrates’ Legal courts in Lagos State is somewhat distinct.

In the case of the nine new states made from the former East and Upper Nigeria, all the new claims was an off-shoot of the existing region and carries with it to the fresh state, the laws getting administered in the jurisdiction of the High Court and the Magistrates’ Courts in the former area of origin, to the High Court as well as the Magistrates’ Process of law of the fresh State. But also in the case of Lagos Condition, Lagos had been a federal place being implemented by the Authorities and previously had a unique High The courtroom and Magistrates’ Courts prior to the creation of states.

The direct effect of this is the judicial categories of the High Court plus the Magistrates’ Legal courts functioning inside the three administrative divisions of Badagry, Epe and Ikeja, which were carved out of the previous Western Nigeria and merged with the federal government territory of Lagos to create Lagos Condition, carried legislation being administered within the jurisdiction of their tennis courts to their fresh Lagos Condition. The Excessive Court of Lagos Take action and the Magistrates’ Courts Call us today applied through the entire State. See section 2 of the Lagos State (Applicable Laws) Edict 1968 (No. 2 of 1968).

The country was additional divided into 19 states by States (Creation and Transition Provisions) Decree, 1976 sometime later it was into twenty one, 30 now 36 claims. Thus, today we have in Nigeria as against the former five jurisdictions which in turn exercised contencioso functions, 37 (including Abuja) separate jurisdictions performing similar functions. SELF ASSESSMENT PHYSICAL EXERCISE 1 Just how were the doctrines of Equity released into Nigeria? 13 three or more. 2 Neighborhood Legislation in Nigeria coping with Conflicts between customary rules and value Despite the advantages of the English language law in to Nigeria, the native laws and customs of the individuals were not removed.

Rather, the Ordinances presenting such British law in to Nigeria specifically made provisions to the effect that these English established legal courts in Nigeria should notice and implement the observance of the people’s native regulations and customs as contained in the provisions of section 18 of Code No . 4 of 1876. Subsequent community legislations since then have continued to retain those provisions. Today, every Substantial Court in the area is enjoined to observe and enforce the observance from the native regulations and traditions of the persons in the area of the jurisdiction.

There are, however , two pre-requisites being fulfilled prior to court can easily observe and enforce the observance of any indigenous law and custom. 1 ) The indigenous law and custom should not be repugnant to natural rights, equity and good notion. 2 . These kinds of native law and personalized must not be incompatible either directly or by implication with any law for the time being in effect. For a comprehensive study in the second pre-requisite, see Area AEW: The Sources of Nigerian Law (1963) pp. 77-80. The initially pre-requisite is definitely our emphasis here and can now be analyzed in detail. several. 2 . one particular Origin

Repugnancy doctrine and customary law The origin with the doctrine shows up obscure. It has been suggested which the origin of the doctrine features little connection with English Law. Nor would it not be right to say it is of Both roman origin. It is further suggested that it would not originate from either Aristotle or Cicero. Somewhat, its beginning has been traced to the Roman-canonical law, which will had been widespread in most of the medieval Euro States. Discover Derrett, Rights, Equity and Good Conscience (Changing Legislation in Growing Countries), edited by M. N. M. Anderson, s. 114.

However , the idea of the repugnancy cortège was recognized to the early common law judges, although they had been primarily worried about adjudicating relative to the common rules and statutes. In many cases, they were doing not alter and health supplement common legislation and code by the workout of contencioso discretion or perhaps judicial fairness (equity or in other words of precisely what is fair and just in the circumstances). The early Chancery Court launched equity and developed the technical rules of fairness. However , the exercise in the early Chancery Jurisdiction was premised about equity, organic justice and good conscience.

Consequently, the British launched the règle to their dependent territories and particularly these territories the place that the English common law, projet of value had to be given side by side with local laws and customs. In this way, the ‘repugnancy doctrine’ became a part of our system through various community enactments. The doctrine features much importance in the ascertainment and using our traditional law. The courts happen to be under a work to impose customary legislation so far as not necessarily repugnant to natural proper rights, equity and good notion.

In some cases, courts are energized to apply guidelines of natural justice, fairness and great conscience where the common rules, statutes, doctrines of collateral and 16 local laws are inapplicable. See for instance , section 34(4) High The courtroom Law, Number 8 of 1955 (N. R. ) It has been contended that the expression ‘natural justice, equity and good conscience’ is capable to be interpreted in two ways. (See Daniels, The Common Law in West The african continent, p. 267, Park, A. E. Watts., (1963) The Sources of Nigerian Law, p. 69. )The first feasible approach is always to view the term in totality as having only one that means. The second conceivable approach t to break up the expression into 3 and consider each part separately. (See Speed Aktiengesellschaft. C. L. in Lewis v. Bankole (1908) 1 N. M. R. seventy eight. ) Nevertheless , attempt to analyze the impracticality implicit in the second approach seems to be a fruitless academics exercise. Via all indications, it is very clear that the expression can only imply one thing, because there is just one common idea, which is indicated in three different keyword phrases. The three terms had at times been utilized separately but they all originated from one common idea and in addition they have all been used to attain the same result ” interpersonal justice in the administration of law.

The practical application in the doctrine within our system has not evinced any generally decided test. Therefore, it is futile to measure judicial decisions in which the operation of the cortège has been deemed. One of the most respected pronouncements within the application of the doctrine would not seem to have offered any satisfactory answer. See Eshugbayi Eleko v. Government of Nigeria (1931) A. C. 662 by 673. It does not go beyond stating that ‘the court are not able to itself enhance a barbarous custom right into a milder one. If it nonetheless stands in its barbarous character, it must be declined as repugnant to ‘natural justice, fairness and great conscience. ‘ However , test for the application of the doctrine cannot imply a reference to foreign regulation, for ‘it is the assent of the indigenous community which gives a customized its validity, and therefore, philistine or slight, it must be proved to be recognised by native community whose execute it is supposed to regulate. ‘ See Eshugbayi Eleko versus. Government of Nigeria (supra). Perhaps a great agreeable evaluation in the application of the cortège may be found if the purpose, which the cortège is meant to serve, is considered.

The introduction of the doctrine in to our system is always to remind the judges of their obvious responsibility, which is to agree to such traditional law since will showcase, without being inconsistent with the economic, political and social advancements of the community within which the customary regulation is to work. These elements must automatically be the condition precedent towards the ascertainment and application of any alleged guidelines of customary law. This brings us into a consideration of Park’s watch that: ‘there is no provision in the enactments which authorises the legal courts to look beyond the rule to the results of its application in specific situations. See The sources of Nigerian law, g. 73. ) This is suggestive of a mechanistic approach to the ascertainment and application of our customary law, particularly while in many cases, it really is almost impossible to determine whether a rule of traditional law is usually repugnant to natural proper rights, equity and good conscience without determining the result of its operation in the community. The fundamental idea in back of the introduction of the ‘repugnancy doctrine’ into our system is that the the courtroom, in the process of ascertaining and applying a great alleged guideline of traditional law, will need to recognise and apply equity in its broad sense.

That is, giving gentle and open-handed interpretation to the alleged regulation of normal law. It is through the acknowledgement and application of such broad principles of equity that English idol judges have been capable to develop the most popular law to satisfy the 15 various demands of effective generations of English persons. Thus, in Emmens sixth is v. Pottle (1885) 16 Q. B. D. 354 in pp. 357, 358 Head of the family Esher stated: ‘In my estimation, any idea the result of which usually would be to demonstrate that the common law of England is definitely wholly uncommon and unjust, cannot be portion of the common regulation of Britain. This idea was cited with authorization in the recognized decision in Donoghue v. Stevenson (1931) A. C. 562 by pp. 608, 609. A conclusion that are an essential aspect of the British law of negligence. Hence, an alleged rule of common regulation cannot be area of the common legislation if the result of its application is wholly unreasonable and unjust. Therefore , it seems to follow along with that the response to the application of a great alleged regulation of customary law might first have to be examined, of course, if such an examination of the result discloses unreasonableness and injustice, then the alleged regulation is no part of the common regulation.. 0 BOTTOM LINE In conclusion, section 32 subsections (1) to (3) from the Interpretation Act (cap. 123 Laws from the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) provides that: (1) Subject to the provisions of this section and other than in so far as different provision is manufactured by any Federal Regulation, the common law of England and the projet of collateral, together with the statutes of standard application that have been in force in the uk on the first day of January, early 1900s, shall, in that they relate with any subject within the legislative competence with the Federal legislature, be in pressure in Nigeria. 2) This sort of Imperial laws shall be in effect so far simply as the bounds of the neighborhood jurisdiction and local circumstances shall permit and subject to virtually any Federal legislation. (3) For the purpose of facilitating the use of the said Imperial regulations they should be read with such formal verbal adjustments not impacting the substance as to brands, localities, process of law, officers, folks, moneys, charges and normally as could possibly be necessary to give the same appropriate to the instances. Subject to regional circumstances and to any local statute, the entire British Common Regulation and Fairness forms element of Nigerian Regulation.

There is, however , a controversy whether or not the constraint to pre 1900 laws and regulations refers simply to statutes of general application or if it is applicable also towards the rules of Common Regulation and Collateral. Clearly, the particular pre 1900 English code are in force in Nigeria. 5. 0 SUMMARY In this unit, we now have discussed how the doctrines of equity had been introduced in Nigeria through various laws and the controversy generated by the repugnancy doctrine in relation to normal law. In unit several, we shall deal with the relationship among equity and common law.. 0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT Describe what you figure out by the repugnancy doctrine as well as its effects in customary legislation. 7. zero REFERENCES as well as FURTHER EXAMINING Hackney L., (1987) Understanding Equity and Trusts, London, uk: Fontana press 16 Jegede M. I. (2007rep. ) Principles of Equity, Ibadan: Unique Design/Prints Park, A. E. Watts., (1963) The Sources of Nigerian Law Volume 8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. UNIT 3 CONTENTS 1 . zero 2 . zero 3. zero THE CONNECTION BETWEEN COLLATERAL AND COMMON LAW four. 0 your five. 0 6th. 0 six. 0 Advantages Objectives Main content a few. Opposition to the Chancery Legal system 3. two Judicature Functions, 1873-1875 Bottom line Summary Tutor-Marked Assignments References / Further more Reading 1 . 0 LAUNCH In the previous unit, we regarded how the procession of value were officially received in the Nigerian legal system through various statutory enactments. The early Chancellors could have flatly rejected any goal on their component to set up a unique court against the tennis courts of regulation. As we have viewed, the go up of the Chancery as a distinct court applying different guidelines was purely unintended.

Had the common law courts been able to adapt common law guidelines to meet the social requirements and expectation of the persons, the Chancellors would have recently been confined to all their traditional management duties and would not have altered the first course of The english language legal history. However , by default on the part of the regular law legal courts and various other component, the Chancellor and his unique administrative functions emerged being a separate courtroom with a separate jurisdiction giving different guidelines.

In this unit, we will look at the connection between collateral and common law. installment payments on your 0 GOALS By the end with this unit, you need to be able to: (i) (ii) (iii). outline the opposition to the Chancery Legislation, explain the Judicature Functions, and explain the conflicts between rules and equity. 3. 0 3. one particular MAIN ARTICLES Opposition towards the Chancery Legal system 14th Hundred years 17 Towards end from the fourteenth 100 years, the the courtroom of Chancery became individual and distinctive from the Ruler and his Authorities.

Opposition to Chancery’s ‘extra-ordinary’ jurisdictions (because it was not supported by statutes nor by the common rules of the land) came from the two Parliament and the common regulation courts. In those days, parliament acquired gained it is independence in the King and his Council becoming a law-making establishment. Jealous of its recently acquired law-making power, Legislative house naturally resented the extra-ordinary jurisdiction worked out by the Chancery in the sense that such jurisdiction was neither supported by loi nor by the common rules of the property.

On the other hand, common law tennis courts became aggressive to the Chancery jurisdiction on the pretext which the jurisdiction becoming exercised by Chancery was unknown towards the common rules of the property. However , it can be clear that the hostility from your common regulation courts sprang from the fact that their jurisdiction was being slowly eroded by Chancery whose jurisdiction was more accelerating and more reasonable. For example , it absolutely was at this period that the Chancery devised a helpful means for the enforcement of trusts, the popularity of which usually over-shadowed the clamour to get the dérogation of Chancery jurisdiction.

It may be remarked here that common law tennis courts did not consider cognisance with the trusts within the pretext that it might be employed for fraudulent uses and for the evasion of the law with the land. On the contrary, Chancery’s recognition and observance of the trust was in accord with man progress and aspirations at any given time the British people were determined to move away from the feudal era and its distressing incidents. Cola and Ellesmere ” 16th Century In the latter part of the sixteenth century, the rivalry involving the common regulation courts as well as the Chancery got reached a second and was nearing a decisive level.

The existence of the Chancery being a separate court administering guidelines of value had become a fait accompli. Opposition from the prevalent law legal courts became even more intensified particularly because of the Chancery’s power to issue common injunction to inhibit the enforcement of judgments obtained from the most popular law courts. The decisive stage arrived when Coke became the primary Justice with the King’s Table. He loathed Chancery legislation and the legal system of other prerogative legal courts that was in opposition to the jurisdiction in the common law courts.

This individual claimed to get the common legislation courts the energy to issue a writ of forbidance against Chancery jurisdiction for any interference while using judgments or decisions with the common legislation courts. However, the Chancery firmly taken care of that it acquired long been inside its legislation to set besides common rules judgments and to grant an even more equitable pain relief where such judgments were devoid of mind or appeared oppressive. The result of these inconsistant positions with the two legal courts of opponent jurisdictions working within a single legal strategy is not difficult to foresee inside the administration of justice.

The imminent anarchy that might have lead if the condition were not busted became real in the Earl of Oxford’s case (1615) 1 Repetition. Ch. 1 ) The Chancellor, Lord Ellesmere, claimed the strength to set aside common law judgments on the ground of fairness and very good conscience. Key justice Softdrink of the common law process of law insisted 18 that the Chancery had zero right, both by arrêté or by any other rules of the terrain, to set besides common law judgments and that he would concern writ of prohibition against Chancery’s disturbance with common law judgments.

The matter in controversy came before Adam I, who after consulting with many other learned lawyers of the period, (including Bacon, who also later became Lord Chancellor), decided in favour of Chancery legal system. Henceforth, the legal supremacy of equitable rules while administered by the Chancery courtroom over prevalent law rules became a substantial feature with the English legal system. The common law legal professionals did not have kindly for the legal superiority of the court docket of Chancery over the process of law of prevalent law and did not wait to trigger or support any maneuver for the abolition with the Chancery courtroom.

Twice in the 17th century, the period from the commonwealth plus the period immediately after the revolution of 1688, the common rules lawyers manufactured abortive attempts to stop Chancery legislation and to revive the conflict hitherto solved in favour of the Chancery by James I actually. SELF ANALYSIS EXERCISE 1 Why was there a whole lot opposition towards the jurisdiction in the court of Chancery by the courts of common regulation? Effect of the King’s Decision The king’s decision in favour of the Chancery had a two fold effect on the type and personality of Chancery jurisdiction.

To begin with, the legislation of the the courtroom became even more extensive. Various litigants had been attracted by flexible and speedy judicial policy with the Court of Chancery. Time, the court was a lot hard-pressed it could not properly cope with the business. The court was poorly staffed and poorly organised, their procedure came into existence complex and inefficient. The effect was needless delay in the administration of justice. In the second place, the representatives of the court became tainted and incompetent.

The power of the court to issue injunctions became a source of iniquities. Litigants, while using active assistance of the court docket made use of the energy as wait tactics and pervert the course of proper rights. Various although unsuccessful tries to change the Chancery jurisdiction and its procedure were created before the later piecemeal change of the 19th century. The positioning of the Chancery court and its particular jurisdiction inside the English legal system before the 19th hundred years reform was neatly referred to by Sir Carleton Allen in his book Law in the Making, seventh Ed. 1964) p. four twenty thus: ‘While ¦equity (in the technological sense) has made important contribution to our legislation, there is one other and a darker side of the photo. The history with the Court of Chancery is among the least reliable in our legal records. Existing nominally pertaining to the promo of tolerante justice, it had been for lengthy corrupt, obstructive and reactionary, prolonging lawsuits for the most not worth motives and obstinately resisting all initiatives at change. ‘ Discover further Potter’s Historical Summary of English Rules (4th Ed. pp. 160-165. 19th Century Reforms Inside the early section of the 19th century, two critical factors called for change and copie of legal procedure. nineteen (i) The decadent and the unsatisfactory treatment and organisation of the Courtroom of Chancery, and (ii) The area of jurisdiction inside which each of the superior process of law, namely, courtroom of common law and the court of Chancery was going to operate, had not been clearly defined. Discover marquis of Waterford sixth is v. Knight (I 844) eleven C. 1 ) F. 653, 8 Elizabeth. R. 1250.

If a litigant required redress both in collateral and at prevalent law, distinct actions in each legal system were important. Again, there were cases resting on the frontier of both jurisdictions. If an action was brought in one particular jurisdiction, it may be fought up to the House of Lords, simply for parties to discover that the actions should have been brought in the other legislation. Thus, lawsuits became high-priced and there were unnecessary delay in the government of justice. Certainly, these kinds of a situation is not a credit to any legal system.

Procedural Reforms Ahead of the statutory reconstructs of the second half of the nineteenth century, common law courts attempted some minor reforms of the conflicting approach to procedure with a view to excuse the worker hardships. They would apply rules of value to instances before them anytime those guidelines were in conflict or unlike common legislation rules. This was to prevent separate proceedings, one out of equity and the other in common law, from becoming brought in admiration of the same reason for action and thereby preserve litigants time and unnecessary charge.

The striking attempt to combine the administration of equally rules as one system of treatment was a part of the right direction. However , very little was achieved by this unification policy from the common law courts considering that the attitude with the Chancery to matters prior to common law courts is probably not easily foreseeable. The Common Regulation Procedure Works of 1852, 1854 and 1860 empowered common law courts to exercise certain jurisdictions actually peculiar and exclusive to the Chancery. For example , common legislation courts had been empowered to compel finding of documents and interrogatories in certain cases.

They had a restricted power to scholarhip injunction plus some other equitable reliefs when ever such bosse might have been granted by the Court of Chancery. On the other hand, the Chancery Modification Act of 1852 strengthened the Legal courts of Chancery to physical exercise certain common law forces. Thus within an equity fit, any relevant common law matters could possibly be decided by Chancery Courts. Before the Take action, such things would have recently been sent to the normal law legal courts. In addition , the Court of Chancery was enabled to consider evidence orally in the open courtroom.

Originally, proof in the Chancery was by simply bill. Head of the family Cairn’s Action, 1858, likewise empowered the court of Chancery in the case opf contracts or torts to award damages in addition to or in lieu of injunction, certain performance or any type of relevant fair remedy. This series of Acts did not move far enough to ameliorate all the evils inherent in the dual approach to administration of justice. It was clearly talked about in the initial report from the Royal Commission that was appointed in 1867 to inquire into the system of supervision of proper rights and to recommend necessary reforms.

According to the report, the modifications made by this group of acts, do not doubt introduced considerable improvements into the procedure both of the regular law and equity process of law, but after a careful consideration from the subject, and judging now with the advantage of a large number of years’ experience of the functional working in the system actually in force, we could of the judgment that ‘the transfer or perhaps blending away jurisdiction’ attemptedto be carried out by recent Acts of Parliament, even if it turned out adopted to the full extent advised by the Commissioners, 20 h not a satisfactory or sufficient remedy for the evils complained of, and would at best have mitigated but not taken off the most prominent of those evils. In the lumination of the above, the Hoheitsvoll Commission recommended a complete blend of the government of proper rights. This was being done by a consolidation of ‘all the superior courts of law and fairness, together with the Courts of Probate, Divorce and Admiralty, as one court, to become called ‘Her Majesty’s Supreme Court, ‘ in which Courtroom shall be vested all the jurisdiction which is at this point exercisable by each and all the tennis courts so consolidated. 3. 2 Judicature Works 1873-1875 The recommendations from the Royal Commission payment were greatly enacted since the Judicature Acts 1873-1875. The Acts abolished all of the existing remarkable courts and in their place, created a Supreme Court of Judicature composed of the Large Court of Justice plus the Court of Appeal.

The High Court docket of Rights consists of three divisions ” (i) The King’s Along with Division (ii) The Chancery division, and (iii) The Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division. The subsequent causes and matters, hitherto within the exclusive jurisdiction with the Chancery, had been assigned by section thirty four of the Judicature Act, 1873, to the Chancery division due to long and expert experience of the Chancery in dealing with these matters.

These are generally: (i) The administration from the estates of deceased people (ii) The dissolution of partnerships and also the taking of partnership or perhaps other accounts (iii) The redemption or foreclosure of mortgages (iv) The bringing up of helpings or other charges upon land (v) The sale and distribution with the proceeds of property be subject to any mortgage or charge (vi) The execution of trusts, charity or personal (vii) The rectification or setting aside or cancellation of deeds or perhaps other crafted instruments (viii) The specific functionality of deals between suppliers and consumers of genuine estates, including contracts intended for leases (ix) The partition or sale for real estates (x) The wardship of infants and care of infants’ estates. As well as the above specific cases, Legislative house may also occasionally, assign some other causes and matters towards the Chancery department. See section 63, Conveyancing Act 1881, section 49 Settled Land Act 1882, and section 2 Guardianship of Babies Act, 1886.

The far-reaching effect of the Judicature Acts, 1873-1875 on the administration of justice is that, since 1875 there is no much longer dualism of courts working out separate and conflicting jurisdictions. Instead, there has been a single approach to courts (in three divisions) administering both equally law and equity. Every division physical exercises all jurisdictions which is vested in the High Court of Justice, hence every evaluate of the Substantial Court of Justice, being placed in Chancery or perhaps King’s Along with, is ordained to administer equally equity and law at the same time. All claims, obligations, protection whether legal or equitable are cognisable in each of the three partitions of the High Court of Justice. Find section 24, Judicature Serves 1873 and 1875.

Additionally , the common injunction by means of that this Chancery Court docket used to physical exercise its superiority over the courtroom of common law has ceased to be relevant and was specifically abolished. 21 years old Section 24(5) of the Judicature Act, 1873 provides that no cause or proceeding at any time pending in the High Court of Justice or perhaps before the Court docket of Charm shall be controlled by prohibition or injunction, but every matter of fairness in which an injunction resistant to the prosecution of any trigger or going forward might have been received before the transferring of this Take action may be counted on using defence thereto. Each of the partitions of the Excessive Court of Justice is usually empowered to settle, by injunction, proceedings in any matter or perhaps cause before it.

The most significant effect of the Judicature Works is the debt consolidation of all the excellent courts and the fusion in the administration of law and equity. PERSONAL ASSESSMENT WORK OUT 2 What is the effect with the Judicature Acts, 1873-1875 around the administration of justice? Equity in the Nigerian Legal System We have observed in the earlier unit the way in which the English language common regulation, doctrines of equity and statutes of general application which were in force in England on the 1st of January, early 1900s were included into the Nigerian legal program. Note that the dual supervision of rules and collateral, which mainly extent paralysed efficient operations of rights in England prior to Judicature Works, was not launched into the Nigerian legal program.

Though Nigeria adopted the English prevalent law as well as the doctrines of English Chancery Court, Nigeria antedated Britain in reforming the machinery to impose them. The Supreme Court Ordinance No . 11 of 9th 04, 1863 founded the Substantial Court of Her Majesty’s Settlement of Lagos, as being a court of jurisdiction being presided above by a Main Magistrate or perhaps his appropriately appointed deputy. It was a court of record stimulated to physical exercise the same municipal and legal jurisdiction and competence while Her Majesty’s Court of Queen’s Counter, the common pleas and Armory in England. By Ordinance Number 9 of July 1864, the Court docket of Her Majesty’s Arrangement of Lagos was as well made a court of equity with powers related to that of Lord Chancellor in England. Section 18 from the Ordinance Number of 1876 also supplied in a more clear term that law and equity were to be administered together so as to steer clear of any multiplicity of legal proceedings, and in cases of conflict or perhaps variance between your rules of equity and the rules of common law with reference to the same subject matter, the guidelines of collateral should dominate. In this way, the Nigerian legal system was saved from your unhealthy rivalry between collateral and common law which characterised the English legal system for centuries. Notwithstanding Nigeria’s later political and constitutional developments, the regional Excessive Courts (now State Excessive Courts) are obliged to administer law and equity at the same time. See Legislation of Great britain (Applicable) Regulation, sec. three or more (cap. 0) 1959 of (Western Nigeria), High Court docket Law, No . 27 of 1955, sec. 14 of (Eastern Nigeria) now suitable in all the Eastern States, Excessive Court Law No . almost 8 of 1955, sections. 29-31 of (Northern Nigeria) at this point applicable to all or any the Upper States. Observe also Supreme Court Code sec. 18, (1943) Laws and regulations of Nigeria. Under the Nigerian Constitution, the Supreme Court docket has unique jurisdiction in some matters. With respect to the exercise with this original jurisdiction, the Federal government Supreme Court Act, 60 provides which the Supreme Court docket shall administer law and equity concurrently and in a similar manner as they are administered by simply Her Majesty’s High Court of Rights in England.

Section 16(b) of the Act is comparable in element to section 24(5) of the Judicature Action 1873. It gives you 22 that in every cause or subject pending prior to it, the Supreme Court shall grant, either definitely or in such terms and conditions as the court considers just, most such remedies whatsoever every of the functions thereto may possibly appear to be allowed to in respect of any kind of legal or perhaps equitable state properly brought forward by simply them inside the cause or matter, so that, as far as likely, all things in controversy between the celebrations may be completely and finally identified, and all multiplicity of legal proceedings relating to any of individuals matters averted.

Section 16(c) of the Take action provides that in all issues in which there was clearly formerly or perhaps is in any kind of conflict or variance between the rules of equity as well as the rules of common regulation with reference to the same matter, the principles of value shall prevail. The above dotacion extends concurrent power to instances in law and fairness but would not blur the distinction involving the principles of law as well as the rules of equity. When law and equity are to be administered at the same time, the differentiation between fairness and common law has firm identification, hence the provision pertaining to the pay outs of conflict that might had been existing in the past or that may arise down the road between prevalent law and equity. It is in this context and that of the relevant provisions of the Judicature Acts 1873-1875 (the Work is a arrêté of standard application and thus in force in Nigeria) hat the settlement of clashes between regulation and collateral will be reviewed. 4. zero CONCLUSION Opposition to Chancery’s jurisdictions originated from both the Legislative house and the common law legal courts. The tips of the Hoheitsvoll Commission had been substantially passed as the Judicature Acts, 1873-1875. The Acts abolished all the existing superior legal courts and in their particular place created a Supreme The courtroom of Judicature. Though Nigeria adopted the English prevalent law as well as the doctrines of English Chancery Court, Nigeria antedated England in changing the equipment to impose them. your five. 0 BRIEF SUMMARY In this device, we have considered as the opposition to the jurisdiction of chancery plus the enactment in the Judicature Action.

You should certainly be able to format the resistance to the Chancery Jurisdiction, and explain the Judicature Serves. 6. zero TUTOR-MARKED TASK Outline the opposition for the Chancery Legislation. 7. 0 REFERENCES as well as FURTHER READING Hackney M., (1987) Understanding Equity and Trusts, London, uk: Fontana press Jegede M. I. (2007rep. ) Concepts of Value, Ibadan: One of a kind Design/Prints twenty-three UNIT four CONTENTS 1 . 0 installment payments on your 0 3. 0 ISSUES BETWEEN EQUITY AND LAW 4. zero 5. 0 6. 0 7. zero Introduction Targets Main content material 3. one particular Effect of the Judicature Acts 1873-1875 3. 2 Blend 3. 2 . 1 Fusion of Rules/Administration Conclusion Synopsis Tutor-Marked Tasks References / Further Studying 1 . zero INTRODUCTION

In the previous unit, we all considered the relation of fairness and common law. In this unit, we all will additional consider the conflict among equity and the common legislation and the a result of the passage of the Judicature Acts 1873-1875. 2 . 0 OBJECTIVES (i) Explain the result of the Judicature Acts 1873-1875, and (ii) Explain just how law was fused with equity. By the end of this device you should be capable to: 3. 0 3. 1 MAIN CONTENT Effect of the Judicature Acts, 1873-1875 Prior to the Judicature Take action of 1873, there have been certain sensible cases in which the application of common law guidelines and the putting on rules of equity with reference to the same matter produced inconsistant results.

For instance , before the Take action, the attitude of fairness with regard to the effect of stipulations as to the amount of time in contracts cannot be reconciled with that of the common law. Similarly, fairness rules regarding the custody and education of infants were different from relevant common law rules. In addition , equity and common law had lengthy maintained a different sort of attitude for the important question of assignments of choses for. These and several other particular types of conflict were resolved simply by section twenty-five, sub-sections 1-10 of the Act. In some cases, guidelines of value were made to prevail over those of the regular law (subsections 2, several, 10), in others, common rules (neither those of fairness nor common law) were evolved. Find subsection eight.

In addition to the pay out of particular conflicts, section 25(11) from the Judicature Act also delivers in a standard term, to get the pay outs of disputes which may arise in the joined administration of common law and fairness. Generally in most matters certainly not here-in-before specifically mentioned, through which there is turmoil between the rules of fairness and the guidelines of common law with reference to the same matter, the rules of equity shall prevail. ‘ This supply is very much a lot like section 16(c) of the Federal Supreme Court docket Act and other similar Substantial Court Regulations of the several States. twenty four The opportunity of the section has come intended for judicial thought in the subsequent cases. i) Liability associated with an Executor pertaining to assets Ahead of the Judicature Take action of 1873, the common rules rule is that an executor was accountable for the loss of his testator’s possessions when they experienced come into his hands. Whether the loss was accidental or as a result of wilful default was immaterial. See Crosse versus. Smith (1806) 7 East. 246. On the other hand, equity had taken a more easygoing view, an executor would not be liable for the loss of the testator’s resources, without default in him. These two differing positions of common legislation and equity with reference to a similar matter came to hear consideration in Job versus. Job (1877) 6 Ch. D. 562. Referring to the regular law location, Jessel Meters. R. help: “The regulation there laid down is, however ,?nternet site have already intimated, not the rule at this point, even by law, intended for the Judicature Act, 1873, provides simply by section 25 subsection 11, that wherever ‘there is any discord or difference between the guidelines of fairness and the rules of prevalent law with regards to the same subject, the rules of equity shall prevail.  The rule at legislation as well as in equity now is that, an executor or officer is in the location of gratuitous bailee who cannot be billed with the decrease of his testator’s assets with no wilful arrears. Though the Grasp of the Comes adopted a ‘common rule’, this common rule was in fact a rule of equity which was held to have prevailed above the common rules rule due to Judicature Take action of 1873. ii) Agreement for a rental The meaning of ‘conflict or variance’ within section 25(11) of the Judicature Act is also illustrated by the decision in Walsh v. Lonsdale (1882) 21 Ch. D. 562. By a written contract, Lonsdale agreed to grant a seven years’ lease of your cotton generator to Walsh. The rent was to always be payable beforehand if demanded. Walsh joined and had taken possession without any lease having b

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