How lawful is AMAC’s gaseous emission permit limit levy?

By Onyekachi Umah, Esq., LL.M, ACIArb(UK) Improving internally generated revenue may include; increasing tax rates, reducing tax evasion and increasing the lawful taxation of more items/services. Since government must provide certain services but government does not have adequate business to generate needed fund, then government must generate funds through taxes and levies. However, to avoid…

February 7, 20240Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Win your cases at the speed of trust

By Chinua Asuzu Ethos encompasses these ingredients: broad and deep learning, a calm mind, civilization, courtesy, decency, equable demeanor, firm will, a kind heart, humility, moderation, modesty, noble spirit, stoic poise, and a modicum of ubuntu. Ubuntu is the ingredient that can power professional collaboration between adversaries at the bar. Ethos enables advocates to function…

October 28, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Are you afflicted with steroidal semantics? Receive your healing today

By Chinua Asuzu In a tendency that I call steroidal semantics, many nonnative English speakers perpetrate hypercorrection. They try to logically reconstruct English idioms, phrases, and words long blessed by usage. For example, they refer to a person’s male romantic or sexual partner as man friend instead of boyfriend, just because the partner is not…

October 7, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

‘Client Cases: Every lawyer’s checklist,’

By Bayo Akinlade A checklist every lawyer must have before taking a client’s case to court I am asking myself whether our lawyers involved in election petition cases and other cases are doing anything to secure a better future for our justice system. I would think that all cases start or doesn’t start with the…

October 6, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Good Lawyers Are Not Liars, By Chinua Asuzu

“Tell the truth. Good lawyers are not liars. ‘The facts you choose to include must be absolutely accurate so your reader is firmly ensconced on your side when the argument section begins—and eagerly anticipates the case law and analysis to seal the deal.’ Submit a fat-free, not a fact-free, brief. As legal-writing teacher Eunice…

October 4, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Persons Exempted from National Identification Number (NIN)

By Onyekachi Umah, Esq., LL.M, ACIArb(UK) National Identity Management Commission [NIMC] is the federal government agency created for the maintenance of a National Identity Database, the registration of individuals and the issuance of general Multi-purpose Identity Cards. There are certain persons in Nigeria that are exempted from registration for National Identification Number. Such exempted persons…

September 28, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Nurture the pinciting habit

By Chinua Asuzu Pinciting means using pinpoint or jump citations—citations to the precise page you’re referring to or quoting from. “Pinpoint citations are those that include the exact page on which the quote, proposition, holding, or rule is found. Use them to show your reader the exact source of important points.” Mary Barnard Ray &…

August 13, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Uninstall your ego from the first paragraph of application letters

By Chinua Asuzu Begin your application emails or letters with "You", "Your", or "[the name of the firm]", rather than "I". Say, "Your law firm has distinguished itself in the Nigerian legal-services marketplace by …" or "Aluko & Oyebode is a leading commercial law firm with expertise in …". Then segue into your own strengths…

August 11, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Words, Phrases, Clauses, and Expressions You Mightn’t Know Are Wrong

By Chinua Asuzu The following are wrong. “FCT Abuja” (The correct expression is “Abuja FCT”, because Abuja is inside FCT, not FCT inside Abuja. It’s like “Washington DC”: Washington is inside the District of Columbia, not the other way round. Ditto for “Ikeja Lagos,” not “Lagos Ikeja”.) “afraid of his life”/“afraid of his health”/”afraid of…

August 8, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

It’s caselaw, not “case laws,” no matter how many cases you’re discussing

By Chinua Asuzu Caselaw (case law is permissible) is a mass noun and shouldn’t be pluralized. It’s not a count noun. Caselaw means the “law to be found in the collection of reported cases that form all or part of the body of law within a jurisdiction.” Black’s Law Dictionary, 11th ed. (Thompson Reuters, 2019),…

August 8, 20230Comments

Byadmin

TIPS

Law and Society Magazine Cookie Policy