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A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick Permanent WRAP URL: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/87345 Copyright and reuse: This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: [email protected] warwick.ac.uk/lib-publications Towards a Suitable Domestic Arbitration Practice in Nigeria By Ademola Jonathan Bamgbose A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Law University of Warwick School of Law June 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... viii Declaration .................................................................................................................................... iix Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... x List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... xi Table of Legislation ...................................................................................................................... xiii Table of Cases .............................................................................................................................. xvii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 1.0 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 1 2.0 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................................ 3 3.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH ............................................................................... 5 4.0 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................... 6 5.0 THESIS STRUCTURE ...................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER TWO: THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN NIGERIA: THE NEED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE ......................................................................................................................... 10 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 10 1.0 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 12 2.0 THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN MODERN NIGERIA: Scope and Jurisdiction……..15 2.1. High Court of the State and the FCT ................................................................ 15 2.2. The Federal High Court ..................................................................................... 16 2.3. The National Industrial Court ........................................................................... 17 2.4. Customary and Sharia Courts of Appeal of the FCT and the State ......... …18 2.5. The Court of Appeal ........................................................................................... 18 2.6. The Supreme Court ............................................................................................. 19 3.0 THE NIGERIAN JUDICIARY: A Dysfunctional Institution .................................... 20 3.1. Industrial Strike Actions, Perennial Backlog of Cases and Delay in Proceedings. ................................................................................................................. 24 3.2. Lack of Financial Autonomy and Independence ............................................ 27 3.3. Lack of Modern Infrastructure .......................................................................... 29 3.4. Corrupt and Incompetent Staff ......................................................................... 30 ii 3.5. Unsuitable, Uncertain and/or Outdated Laws ............................................... 35 4.0 A CASE FOR REFORMS: Towards an Efficient Judicial System. ........................... 37 CONCLUDING REMARKS ..................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER THREE: ARBITRATION: A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO LITIGATION ................................................................................................................................................. …..46 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 46 1.0 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 49 2.0 MODERN DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS .............................................. 53 2.1. A Brief Overview................................................................................................. 53 2.2. Factors That Have Contributed to the Rise of ADR ....................................... 56 3.0 ARBITRATION: THE MOST VIABLE ADR .............................................................. 59 4.0 ABANDONING THE CONCEPT KNOWN AS ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR) ................................................................................................................ 64 5.0 ARBITRATION: A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO LITIGATION ................................ 70 5.1. Limitations of Litigation ..................................................................................... 70 5.2. How does Arbitration come in? ........................................................................ 73 CONCLUDING REMARKS ..................................................................................................... 85 CHAPTER FOUR: DOMESTIC ARBITRATION IN NIGERIA ...................................... 87 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 87 1.0 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 88 1.1. Historical Background to Statutory Arbitration in Nigeria .......................... 88 2.0 DEFINING THE SCOPE OF DOMESTIC ARBITRATION ...................................... 90 2.1. Domestic Arbitration in General ....................................................................... 90 2.2. Nigeria’s Definition of Domestic Arbitration .................................................. 95 3.0 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DOMESTIC PRACTICE IN NIGERIA ................ 97 3.1. The Agreement to Arbitrate ............................................................................... 98 3.2. The Need for a Dispute .................................................................................... 101 3.3. Starting an Arbitration: The Appointment of an Arbitral Tribunal ........... 104 3.4. The Arbitral Proceedings ................................................................................. 106 3.5. The Decision of the Tribunal: The Award ..................................................... 108 3.6. Enforcement of the Award............................................................................... 111 4.0 PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT REFORM ...................................................................... 114 iii 4.1. The 2005 Reform Committee ........................................................................... 114 4.2. The Uniform State Arbitration Law: The Lagos State Arbitration Law 2009 in View. ....................................................................................................................... 117 5.0 A CASE FOR REFORMS ............................................................................................. 120 5.1. The Issue of Writing .......................................................................................... 121 5.2. Court Intervention ............................................................................................ 124 5.3. Constitutionality of Arbitration ...................................................................... 128 5.4. Party Autonomy ................................................................................................ 133 5.5. Stay of Proceedings ........................................................................................... 134 5.6. The Number of Arbitrators .............................................................................. 137 CONCLUDING REMARKS ................................................................................................... 138 CHAPTER FIVE: CUSTOMARY ARBITRATION IN MODERN NIGERIA .............. 139 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 139 1.0 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 141 2.0 CUSTOMARY ARBITRATION IN MODERN NIGERIA ...................................... 146 2.1. Initial Controversies Relating to the Existence and Validity of Customary Arbitration. ...............................................................................................................