Insight — LSF Legal Review

Editor's note

This second edition of Insight — LSF Legal Review reflects our continued commitment to exploring how law respond to social realities and evolving professional challenges. We begin with the recent landmark Supreme Court decision, Ugbah v. Ugbah (2025) LPELR-81732(SC), where the Court reaffirmed that the pursuit of justice must not be trapped by rigid procedures.

In this case review by Dr Abdul Mahmud, the Court’s reasoning is examined as a turning point in Nigerian family law, one that places compassion, access, and substantive justice above procedural technicality. It is a decision that not only strengthens the rights of women and children but also reshapes how lawyers and judges understand the relationship between law and lived experience.

The Perspectives section features two thought-provoking essays.

The first, on the Settlement of Properties in Matrimonial Proceedings, revisits the law governing property division after divorce. It clarifies the misconception that marriage automatically confers equal ownership and explains how courts determine what is just and equitable in each case.

The second essay, The Challenges Faced by Young Lawyers in Nigeria’s Legal Profession, turns the spotlight inward, addressing the difficulties faced by young lawyers as they navigate ethics, mentorship and professional growth in a changing legal landscape.

Together, these articles capture the central theme of this edition: the need to align legal practice with fairness, adaptability and purpose. Whether in family law, intellectual property, or professional ethics, the message remains the same. Law must continue to evolve, not only to regulate society, but to serve it.