The Nigerian Monthly Law Reports, NMLR,first published in 1964, has continued to receive high praises from its users. The new series,beginning with judgments delivered in 2009, was presented last year, with a formal handing over to the new editorial board by the founding editors.

The board has reiterated its commitment to assist in the realm of research by bringing to the fore the most recent cases on principles of law considered by the courts. Members of the board include Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, who chairs it; Olawale Akoni, SAN, Mr Chuka Agbu, Dr Bayo Adaralegbe, Mr Mobolaji Kuti (Managing Editor) and Mr ‘Tola Oshobi.

Since the public presentation, the NMLR has to its credit the complete set of 2009 editions which contain all the decisions of the Supreme Court delivered that year.

They also contain selected decisions of the Court of Appeal, Federal High Court and state High Courts, as well as editions beginning from judgments delivered in January. On what sets it apart from others, its editors said: “The NMLR set out to correct the incongruities which characterise the process of law reporting in Nigeria by means of concise editing of judgments delivered without compromising relevancy of necessary facts of the judgments for its concise nature.

“Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the NMLR from other law reports is the advanced and extensive research that goes into its editorial content couched as the “Editor’s Note” in each edition.

“The editors go to great lengths to highlight inconsistencies or errors of law in the decisions of the court; thereby, aiding counsel and students in research and guiding the Honourable Justices to be alert in reaching their decision since judgments are public documents and form an indispensable source of law. In addition to this, each hard-back, leather-bound volume comes with a free read-only CD.”

Presently, there are about 2,000 subscribers to NMLR, and it has continued to receive accolades.

Justice Hussein Mukhtar of the Court of Appeal said, “the NMLR is a well organised, enriched annotated and an orthodox Law reporting that is user friendly and one of the best resource avenues for legal authority in Nigeria that has achieved the highest international standards.”

Justice Olu Ariwoola, also of the Court of Appeal said:“ I am glad to say that the reporting, printing and binding of the NMLR are fantastic. The effort is commendable. I hereby recommend the Law Reports to all, in particular, practitioners of law, both at the bar and on the bench at all levels. The benefits derivable from the use of the NMLR are unimaginable. However, I believe there is room for improvement”

Former federal Attorney-General, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, said, “the new NMLR published in the past one year has met the highest standard of law reporting in the English speaking world. NMLR is indispensible to any one in our profession who values competence. If you ensure that the NMLR is available in the bookshops and libraries of all the English speaking world, then the sky will not be the limit for the NMLR.”

The Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Prof. Oluyemisi Bamgbose, said, “the Law Report has enriched the legal resources for research, case law for legal practitioners and study guide for law students. The lucid manner in which the law report is presented, makes it an important and very good legal material for the law students. It is a rich resource that has benefited legal practitioners, lecturers and law students.”