Law school: Court dismisses NOUN graduates’ suit

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed a suit filed by a group of graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria.

Some graduates of NOUN had approached the court over an alleged refusal by relevant authorities to grant them admission into the Nigerian Law School.

Justice Hilary Oshomah, who ruled on the matter on Wednesday, explained that gaining admission into the Nigerian Law School was tedious, adding that studies should not be on part-time basis.

Justice Oshomah, who made reference to the Legal Education Act 2004, section 1:1, pointed out that relevant authorities had the statutory power to put rules and policies in place with a view to setting the standard of admission for students into the Nigerian Law School.

He dismissed the relief sought by the plaintiffs, who claimed that the refusal by the relevant authorities to admit them into the law school infringed on their rights, adding that the court would not grant the students’ request because admission into the Law School was guided by rules and policies.

Striking out the case, Justice Oshomah described the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs as a misconception.

However, counsel for the Council for Legal Education, Mr. Mark Agwu, maintained that admission into the Law School was not and would not be based on sympathy or semantics.

“In as much as we appreciate the hardship the students have encountered either through resources and time, the legal profession is highly conservative and it cannot be compelled by law to admit students into the school,” Agwu added.

Speaking with journalists, counsel for the plaintiff, Professor Amuda Abiodun, explained that the matter could be resolved administratively , even though they had lost the case.