NIGERIAN SHIPPING LAWS. By L. N. Mbanefo, M.A., LL.B., Barrister, Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Notary Public of Nigeria, and Assistant Secretary of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association. Published by Professional Books Ltd., Abingdon (1983, xcv and 1055 pp.) Hardback £95. The idea for this massive work arose in the course of the deliberations of the recently formed Nigerian Maritime Law Association, when the need for a comprehensive source of reference became particularly evident. The editor has endeavoured to incorporate the full texts of all Nigerian primary and secondary legislation on shipping, with commencement dates and repeals and amendments. It is more embracing than any equivalent English work in that it encompasses not only the usual legislation on merchant shipping but also, for example, the material on carriage of goods by sea, marine insurance, ports and harbours and the exclusive economic zone. The relevant Nigerian cases are mentioned, although the editor does not attempt a Temperley-like annotation of the relevant provisions. Finally, the preface contains a brief discussion of the applicability of the English legislation in Nigeria. The book should prove an invaluable source of reference for anyone concerned with any of the details of Nigerian shipping law.

A CONCISE DICTIONARY OF LAW. Edited by Elizabeth A. Martin, M.A. Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford (1983, 394 pp.) Hardback £9.95. This is an attractively produced and modestly priced dictionary, which has been newly compiled primarily for non-lawyers requiring some legal knowledge in the course of their work. Each entry, therefore, includes a concise definition plus explanation, but normally with no further references. Not all entries can be treated as perfect. For example, average is not only important (as is intimated) for marine insurance purposes. And, though a Mareva injunction does, as stated, prevent a defendant from removing his assets, to continue that it “thus makes it worthwhile to sue such a defendant” appears to suggest that it gives the plaintiff a bonus rather than helps to secure something to which he is already entitled. Not all of the cross-referencing is complete. Thus, “unjust enrichment” refers to “quasi-contract”, though neither refer to “restitution”, of which quasi-contract forms an important part and over half of the entry for which is devoted to restitution orders. Imperfections apart, which are inevitable in a book of this size, the dictionary provides on the whole a reliable summary of the topics included.

1983 MEETING OF COMMONWEALTH LAW MINISTERS: MEMORANDA. Published by Commonwealth Secretariat, London (1983, xv and 597 pp.). Paperback £15. This hefty, but inexpensive, large-format book contains 41 papers from the 1983 conference, five more (including a survey of civil litigation throughout the Commonwealth and a paper on commercial frauds) being published separately. The contributions range over a wide area and include interesting memoranda on: drafting and interpretation of legislation; commercial crime and corporate abuse, including the enforcement of civil liability with respect thereto; access, seizure and forfeiture of property associated with criminal activity; and reform of the law of domicile.