Laws promulgated by a military government are called

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the name given to laws made by a military government. Different types of government give different names to their laws.

Step 2: Explain the concept

• Bills are proposed laws that are still being debated in a legislature. They are not yet laws.
• Acts are laws passed by a civilian legislature (e.g. the National Assembly) after a bill has been approved and assented to by the President.
• Decrees are laws issued by a military government. Military rulers usually suspend the constitution and the legislature, and rule by issuing orders directly through bodies like the Supreme Military Council or the Armed Forces Ruling Council. Examples in Nigeria include Decree No. 2 of 1984 and Decree No. 4 of 1984 (Public Officers Protection Against False Accusation) under the Buhari regime.
• Proclamations are public or official announcements, such as the declaration of a state of emergency or the announcement of a takeover. They are not the standard name for military laws.

Step 3: Apply the concept Since the question asks specifically about laws made by a military government:

• Bills: not yet laws, so no.
• Acts: made by civilian legislatures, so no.
• Decrees: made by military rulers, so yes.
• Proclamations: announcements, not the standard term for laws, so no.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is C. decrees. (The option is spelt "decress" in the question, but it is clearly a typo for "decrees".)

Exam tip: Remember the pairing by regime type:

• Military → Decrees
• Civilian legislature → Acts
• Proposed law → Bill

Many students mix up "decrees" and "edicts". In Nigeria, military governors at the state level issued edicts, while the federal military government issued decrees. Keep this in mind for future questions.