Book

Description

The ever-growing body of knowledge on human rights cannot be said to have reached its zenith; there must be a perpetual continuum in emphasizing the priority of these rights, as a person who sleeps on his right cannot be said to deserve the aid of equity, talk less of the law and its legal institutions. This book is therefore a little attempt both to lend a voice and add to such body of knowledge on human rights, especially in such a nation as Nigeria. It places the spotlight on the ever-pressing subjects of the right to health, the right to a fair trial of a defendant in a criminal trial and the right to protection of personal data, as their forts and flaws are made conspicuous, and viable remedies are recommended. In the same vein, while the rights of all citizens/persons needs to be emphasized and actualized, the duties of natural/artificial persons to provide revenue for government cannot in all equity be underemphasized; for where a right exists, there must also be a corresponding duty. Thus the subject of taxing non-resident companies entered into this book, which, like persons do for rights, is a case the Nigerian tax authorities also enforce in court (unlike the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which provides both for socio-economic rights of Nigerians and their duties to pay taxes, but makes the former non-justiciable while our case laws are filled with the latter). The compendium also contains the subject of private and charitable trusts, an all-time relevant subject that finds expression in the day to day activities of natural/artificial persons.  The main aim is to clarify the differences between the two types of trusts and exploit the advantages each one offers, depending on the one that is elected by a person.  The last article in this compendium is a lecture note delivered by the author in a seminar at the Lagos State University, to students, to add purpose, vision and direction to their legal sojourn, and to ensure that the art of legal craftsmanship is adequately sustained, so that those that are called the bastion of hope for the common man, will not be incompetent in dispensing the deliverables of justice to the society that always need them.