Fidelis Oditah
Encyclopedia
Professor Fidelis Oditah, QC
, SAN
, LLB
(Lagos)
, MA
, BCL
, DPhil
(Oxon)
, is an English barrister
, an authority on insolvency law
, and a prospective Governor of Delta State
in Nigeria
.
Fidelis Oditah was born in Nigeria
in 1964.
At the age of twenty he graduated from the University of Lagos
with a first-class degree in law and twelve of the thirteen available prizes (1984). The following year, he graduated with the highest first-class honours awarded that year by the Nigerian Law School
(1985). In the next year he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship
enabling him to study at the University of Oxford
(Magdalen College
1986-89), where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law
(1987) and of Doctor of Philosophy
(1989), completing his DPhil
thesis in only two years.
Oditah was called to the bar (Lincoln's Inn
) in 1992 and became a Queen's Counsel
in 2003, aged thirty-nine, and after only eleven years at the bar.
Oditah is best known his book, Legal Aspects of Receivables Financing (1990) which is the leading English legal text in its field. The book is an expanded version of his doctoral thesis.
Oditah was a Fellow
and Tutor in Law at Merton College, Oxford
and Travers Smith Braithwaite Lecturer in Corporate Finance Law in the University of Oxford
from 1989 to 1997. He resigned in order to practice full time at the English bar. He remains a visiting professor at the Oxford University Faculty of Law (2000-). He also served as a consultant to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL
) from 1995 to 1999.
Cases in which Oditah have appeared in include On Demand Information plc & ors v Michael Gerson [2002] 2 WLR 919 (HL), Cadbury Schweppes plc v Somji [2001] 1 WLR 615 (CA), Re ASRS Establishment Ltd [2000] 2 BCLC 631 (CA) and BCCI v Akindele [2001] Ch 437 (CA).
Oditah is currently a candidate for the office of Governor of Delta State
in Nigeria
.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, SAN
Senior Advocate of Nigeria
Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a title that may be conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria of not less than ten years' standing and who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession...
, LLB
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(Lagos)
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
, MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
, BCL
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
, DPhil
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(Oxon)
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, is an English barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, an authority on insolvency law
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, and a prospective Governor of Delta State
Delta State (Nigeria)
Delta State is a state in Nigeria, comprising mainly Urhobo,, Isoko, Igbo , Ijaw and Itsekiri. The whole ethnic-groups that comprise the Delta are administratively grouped into three senatorial districts namely Delta North, Delta South and Delta Central for easy administrative purposes.Delta is...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
Fidelis Oditah was born in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in 1964.
At the age of twenty he graduated from the University of Lagos
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
with a first-class degree in law and twelve of the thirteen available prizes (1984). The following year, he graduated with the highest first-class honours awarded that year by the Nigerian Law School
Nigerian Law School
The Nigerian Law School was set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1962 to provide a Nigerian legal education to foreign-trained lawyers, and to provide practical training for aspiring Legal Practitioners in Nigeria....
(1985). In the next year he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship
Commonwealth Scholarship
The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries.-History:...
enabling him to study at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
1986-89), where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
(1987) and of Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(1989), completing his DPhil
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
thesis in only two years.
Oditah was called to the bar (Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
) in 1992 and became a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 2003, aged thirty-nine, and after only eleven years at the bar.
Oditah is best known his book, Legal Aspects of Receivables Financing (1990) which is the leading English legal text in its field. The book is an expanded version of his doctoral thesis.
Oditah was a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
and Tutor in Law at Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
and Travers Smith Braithwaite Lecturer in Corporate Finance Law in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
from 1989 to 1997. He resigned in order to practice full time at the English bar. He remains a visiting professor at the Oxford University Faculty of Law (2000-). He also served as a consultant to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL
UNCITRAL
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law was established by the United Nations General Assembly by its Resolution 2205 of 17 December 1966 "to promote the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law"....
) from 1995 to 1999.
Cases in which Oditah have appeared in include On Demand Information plc & ors v Michael Gerson [2002] 2 WLR 919 (HL), Cadbury Schweppes plc v Somji [2001] 1 WLR 615 (CA), Re ASRS Establishment Ltd [2000] 2 BCLC 631 (CA) and BCCI v Akindele [2001] Ch 437 (CA).
Oditah is currently a candidate for the office of Governor of Delta State
Delta State (Nigeria)
Delta State is a state in Nigeria, comprising mainly Urhobo,, Isoko, Igbo , Ijaw and Itsekiri. The whole ethnic-groups that comprise the Delta are administratively grouped into three senatorial districts namely Delta North, Delta South and Delta Central for easy administrative purposes.Delta is...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.