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History : Department of Public and International Law

 


 

The Faculty of the Social Sciences during the tenure of Professor R. K. Udo as Dean pioneered the establishment of the Law programme in the University of Ibadan.
 
The Law programme at the University of Ibadan started in October 1981 when the Department of Law was established within the Faculty of the Social Sciences. The Faculty was divided into the following Departments: the Department of Public and International Law (PIL) and the Department of Private and Business Law (PBL). In January 1984, Professor F. Shyllon took over from Professor M.I. Jegede as the Head of Department of Law. On 28th May, 1984 of the same year, the Senate of the University approved the Department of Law to be converted into a Faculty of Law, thus satisfying the Council of Legal Education’s condition precedent for the admission to the Nigerian Law School.
 
All Law students have to take elective and compulsory courses in Public and International Law; and the Private and Business Law. Postgraduate Degree Programmes in Master of Laws were approved and commenced in the 2001/2002 Academic Session. The Department presently offers nine courses for the Postgraduate Masters Degree Programme. In addition the Department also conducts the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) programmes.
The first ever Inaugural Lecture from the Faculty was delivered during the 1985/86 session. The topic of the lecture which was delivered by the Foundation Dean and substantive Head of the Department of Public and International Law, Professor Folarin Shyllon was Freedom, Justice and Due Process.

In addition, a lecture on behalf of the Department of Public and International Law, was delivered on 9th November 2005 at the Faculty of Law New Auditorium by HON. (DR) USMAN BUGAJE, member of the House of Representatives titled: DEMOCRACY DEFICITS AND THE COMING ANARCHY: LEGISLATIVE REMEDIES.

Seminars have also been organized in the Department. The seminar took place on October 12, 2005. The topic of the seminar was: DISABLED PERSONS AND THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION IN NIGERIA. The Presenter was Mrs. Bukola Akinbola and the Chairperson was Mrs. Adefolake Y. Okediran. The Venue was in the Postgraduate Hall, Block F, Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan.

 

The Past Heads of the Department are:

Prof. J. D. Ojo - October 1989 - March 1994 (Acting)

Prof. F. Shyllon - March 1994 - May 1997

Mrs. E. S. Olarinde - November 1997 - November 1999 (Acting)

Mrs. A. Y. Okediran - November 1999 - July 2001 (Acting)

Mr. Y. Akinseye-George August 2001 - July 2003 (Acting)

Prof. O. O. Omorogbe August 2003 - July 2005

Mrs. A. Y. Okediran - August 2005 - January 2007

All the Past Heads of the Department have served the Department during their tenure loyally and judiciously.