Index: /FCKeditor.Java/trunk/java-core/src/main/java/net/fckeditor/handlers/LocalizedMessages.java
===================================================================
--- /FCKeditor.Java/trunk/java-core/src/main/java/net/fckeditor/handlers/LocalizedMessages.java	(revision 3628)
+++ /FCKeditor.Java/trunk/java-core/src/main/java/net/fckeditor/handlers/LocalizedMessages.java	(revision 3629)
@@ -63,5 +63,5 @@
 	private static final String DEFAULT_FILENAME = "default_messages.properties"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	private static final String LOCAL_PROPERTIES = "fckeditor_messages"; //$NON-NLS-1$
-	private static Properties defaultProperties = new Properties();
+	private static final Properties defaultProperties = new Properties();
 	
 	private Properties properties;
@@ -98,6 +98,6 @@
 	 * Returns an instance of <code>LocalizedMessages</code> for a given
 	 * request. This method automatically determines the locale of this request
-	 * and loads the appropriate bundle. If either one if null or not available,
-	 * the default bundle will be used.
+	 * and loads the appropriate bundle. If locale is null or not available,
+	 * the default locale will be used.
 	 * 
 	 * @param request
@@ -107,11 +107,9 @@
 	public static LocalizedMessages getInstance(HttpServletRequest request) {
 
-		Locale locale;
-
 		if (request == null)
-			locale = NEUTRAL;
-		else
-			locale = getLocaleResolverInstance().resolveLocale(request);
-
+			throw new NullPointerException("the request cannot be null");
+		
+		Locale locale = getLocaleResolverInstance().resolveLocale(request);
+		
 		if (locale == null)
 			locale = NEUTRAL;