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Difficulty: Very hardThe Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 and Nigerian Federalism

Prior to 1954, colonial Nigeria operated a unified judicial and civil service structure. How did the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution alter the judicial framework to reflect the newly established federal system?

  1. It established Regional High Courts alongside a Federal Supreme Court, decentralizing judicial administration.Answer
  2. B
    It unified all regional legal institutions under a single Supreme Court located in Lagos with exclusive original jurisdiction nationwide.
  3. C
    It abolished the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final appellate court and replaced it with Regional Courts of Appeal.
  4. D
    It placed the appointments of regional judges directly under the executive authority of the newly created regional Premiers.

Answer

The 1954 Lyttelton Constitution altered the judicial framework by establishing Regional High Courts alongside a Federal Supreme Court, thereby regionalizing the judiciary.
The 1954 Lyttelton Constitution formally instituted true federalism in Nigeria. A primary feature of this federal arrangement was the decentralization of state apparatuses, which led to the creation of separate Regional High Courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Western Regions, alongside a central Federal Supreme Court.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the constitutional shift in 1954
Identified that the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution formally ushered in true federalism in Nigeria, ending the quasi-federal structure of the 1951 Macpherson Constitution.
Federalism requires the division of statutory powers and institutional structures between the central government and federating units.
2
Examine institutional changes in administrative organs
Determined that structural devolution extended to key administrative organs, specifically leading to the regionalization of both the Public Service (Civil Service) and the Judiciary.
Under a federal framework, regions require their own judicial and civil service machinery independent of the central government.
3
Evaluate the specific judicial arrangement established
Confirmed that each region (North, East, West) gained its own Regional High Court, while a Federal Supreme Court was established at the center.
This structural division created a dual court system matching the division of legislative powers between federal and regional governments.

Key Concept

Regionalization of the Judiciary under the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 and Nigerian Federalism