PROJECTS FROM INCEPTION

1. Report on Uniform High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules: The Report was submitted in 1984 and a number of States adopted the rules either in its entirely or with necessary modifications.
2. Review of Pre-1900 Statutes of General Application in Nigeria: This project involved a careful review of all Pre-1900 Statutes applicable in Nigeria. The outcome of the review exercise was a recommendation for enactments of four Federal Enactments as Federal Acts and twenty as State Laws.
   
   The four Federal enactments were promulgated into Law as:
   1. Insurance (miscellaneous Provisions) Act CAP 183 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
   2. Section 12 of the Labour Act CAPS 198 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
   3. Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Decree No.20 of 1988
   4. The State Proceedings Decree was incorporated into section 6 of the 1989 Constitution, now section section 6 of 1999 Constitution.
   With regard to the twenty draft Laws for the States, many states have enacted legislation based on the Commisssion’s recommended drafts.
3. Report on the Nigerian Company Law: The Report submitted to the Hon. Attorney-General in 1982 consists of a draft Companies Act, a draft Business Names Act and a draft Incorporated Trustees Act.
   The three draft Acts were promulgated under one Enactment under the title of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 now CAP 59 of Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.

1. Reform of Intellectual Property Law: This project, which was undertaken in conjunction with the Drafting Committee of the National Seminar n Nigerian Copyright Act was submitted to the Hon. Attorney-General in 1988. The draft was promulgated into the Copyright Decree No.47 of 1988 now CAP 68 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

1. Report on the Reform of Industrial Property Law: The Report was submitted to the Hon. Attorney-General in July 1991. The draft Act contained in Part B of the report deals with the establishment of an Industrial Property office, Patents, Utility Models, Industrial Design, trade marks and other marks, transfer of industrial property rights.
   
   Report has been implemented. The importance of a modern legislation on industrial property rights cannot be underscored; it is sine qua non to the Nationa’s industrial and technological development as well as being one of the essential requirements for attracting foreign investors. The Commisssion has received a number of enquiries with regard to the implementation of this draft legislation among which is the one from the department of trade in the Embassy of the United States of America.
2. Child’s Right Act: The Commission was represented on the three-man committee that drafted the Child’s Right Act. This Act was enacted into law by the National Assembly in 2004.
3. Report on the Reform of the Land Use Act:The Report was the result of widest possible consultation with experts in the filed, interested persons and relevant institution and organizations in both public and private sectors. In theReport which was submitted to the Attorny-General in 1992, the Commission proposed practical solutions to some of the problems inimical to the implementation of the Act. The Commission’s report has not been acted upon.

1. Report on the Reform of the Evidence Act: The Report was first submitted to the Hon. Attorney-General in 1998. Though it was not implemented, the Commission again revisited the Report with a view to accommodating new developments. This culminated in the representation of an updated vesion of a draft Bill on the reform of the Evidence Act TO THE Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice in October 2003.
2. Marriage: Draft Bill presented to the Attorney-General of the Federation in October, 1980-draft Bill was shelved, in view of religious, feminist and other agitations.
3. Prison: Report and draft Bills submitted to the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation in December 1993.
4. Sentencing: Report and draft Bill submitted to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation in December, 1981.
5. Adoption of 1370 Federal Act in 28 Volumes: Six volumes of Fedearl Act had already been adapted and submitted to the Hon.Attorney-General of the Federation. Others were in course of adaptation when this exercise was overtaken by the Commission(Suspension and Modification Decree, 1984).
6. Criminal Justice:

1. 1. Working paper with draft Bill to eliminate certain delays in administration of Justice was prepared in 1981.
   2. Working paper prepared in 1981 on the desirability or other of uniform codes of criminal law and procedure.

1. Adoption: Working paper with draft Bill already prepared. Further action to be taken in due course.
2. Labour: Working paper on workmen’s Compensation Act prepared and forwarded to the Hon. Attorney General for consideration and further directives. The recommendations were fully reflected in the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1983.
3. Insurance: Very successful seminar held. Paper already published in Law Reform Journal 1986, No.5.
4. Amendment to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1979; Project reached an advanced stage, but was overtaken by the Constitution ( Suspension and Modification) Decree , 1984.