The Nigerian Law of Defamation and Its Impact on Libraries

Authors

  • James Abayomi Agaja University of Maiduguri

Abstract

Considers the implications for libraries of Section 391 of the Nigerian Penal Code and Articles 512–514 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. Distribution of any publication that tends to expose an individual to public contempt, ridicule, or disgrace is forbidden. The questions are what does constitute this kind of defamation, and to what extent libraries are culpable if they have copies of publications that are found to be defamatory. The weight of opinion suggests that libraries may indeed be held accountable for possessing such material, but perhaps not if the material had been acquired prior to the legal finding that it is defamatory. In any case once an item has been judged defamatory, libraries should move copies out of open shelves to closed stacks with restricted access.

Author Biography

James Abayomi Agaja, University of Maiduguri

James Abayomi Agaja is a Senior Librarian and Head of Cataloging at the University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (1992)

Section

Articles

License

World Libraries allows authors to maintain the copyright of their article or to give permission to World Libraries to hold the copyright. If contributors decide to maintain copyright, a Creative Commons license allows authors to determine how their work can be used. For more information on the types of licenses available, visit http://www.creativecommons.org/.

Authors submitting a paper to World Libraries do so with the understanding that Internet publishing is both an opportunity and a challenge. In this environment, authors and publishers do not always have the means to protect against unauthorized copying or editing of copyright-protected works.

World Libraries is a copyrighted product, and all rights are reserved worldwide. Permissions to use any materials appearing in World Libraries should be directed to Questions about World Libraries.

Downloads of specific portions of World Libraries articles are permitted for personal use only, not for commercial use or resale. Educational uses of World Libraries are permitted with permission of the authors of specific works appearing in World Libraries.

PRIVACY

World Libraries respects the privacy of both its readers and its contributors. To that end, World Libraries does not collect in its logs or other server tools the exact identities of its readers. World Libraries does not require its readers to sign in or to secure a unique ID or password. World Libraries does not use cookies.

World Libraries collects general information in its logs on the origins of users at the highest domain levels. Usage patterns are tracked in World Libraries to assist editors in making decisions about future content. In addition, this information is used for research on usage patterns to improve the site over time.

E-mail addresses used by World Libraries to notify readers of new issues are not disclosed to third parties.