Evaluating the Role of a Non-Doctrinal Legal Research Method on Legal Education and Practice in Common Law Africa: Nigeria as a Case Study

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study examining the relationship between a non-doctrinal legal research method (NDLRM) and the quality of legal education and practice, with a view to determine the reason for the increasing poor quality of law graduates from common law African countries. Consequently, in this study, faculties of law offering NDLRM in Nigerian universities were investigated as a case study and the challenges of doing so. To achieve the objective of this study, an experimental research design was formulated. Interviews were conducted and a NDLRM challenges questionnaire developed and administered amongst a selected population of law teachers and law students across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Data collected from the respondents were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results of the analysis showed a positive co-relationship between NDLRM and legal education and practice. Law students were not taught NDLRM in Nigerian universities and their teachers were not taught NDLRM as students in Nigerian Universities. In the conclusion of this paper, compulsory training on inter-disciplinary research for all law teachers in Nigeria was recommended. Further, the provision of adequate funding for research in all faculties of law and adequate training facilities such as smart boards and software for teaching empirical research in all law faculties should be a priority.