• AGF, NBA President urge prosecutors to fight
corruption
The Solicitor General of the Federation, Taiwo Abidogun has
called on stakeholders in the justice sector to collaborate in the
reform of the justice system.
He therefore urged states yet to reform their criminal justice to
take advantage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA)
by adopting it in their states.
He said the effective implementation of the ACJA would also
promote the rule of law and deepen constitutional democracy in the
country. He said this at a two-day National Sensitization Workshop
on ACJA held in Kaduna State.
The Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr.
Etsu Mohammed, represented Abidogun, who also doubles as Permanent
Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice.
He said: “The criminal justice system has been bedeviled with a
lot challenges, which include human rights abuses, delay in
criminal trials arising from incessant adjournments, undue resort
to interlocutory applications and absence of witnesses in
courts.
“Also is the absence of necessary policies and legislation that
would facilitate smooth, speedy and effective administration of
criminal justice and guarantees free and fair trail of
suspects.”
He explained that ACJA is a merger and consolidation of the
provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) and the Criminal
Procedure Code (CPC) into one principal Federal Act and it applies
to all courts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), all Federal
Courts and institutions involved in criminal justice administration
as well as State Justice Institutions.
ACJA, he stated, has in broad terms shifted the goal of criminal
justice administration from punishment to restorative justice by
focusing on the needs of society, the victims, vulnerable persons
and human dignity by repealing those provisions in the criminal
laws that have been subjected to all form of abuses.
He further explained that while provisions of ACJA could be
applicable to both Federal and State institutions in the justice
sector, the Act under Section 16 has established a Central Criminal
Records Registry in the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) at the Federal,
State, Area, Divisional and Station levels and made it mandatory
for the Police to transmit the decisions of court in all criminal
trials to the Central Criminal Records Registry within thirty (30)
days of judgment.
“Presently only six (6) states have enacted their Administration
of Criminal Justice Law while the House of Assembly in three states
has passed the bill and it awaits the Governors’ assent.
“The Act has preserved to a large extent the existing criminal
procedure laws and also introduced far reaching innovative reforms
of the criminal justice system in the country”, he said.
However, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who
also spoke at the workshop, represented by Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice of the state, Umma Hikima, said the state
has recently passed the ACJ law and it is ready for
implementation.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the President of
the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abubakar Mahmud (SAN), have
called on law officers to uphold the fight against corruption.
The duo made the call yesterday at the opening ceremony of the
2nd Annual General Conference (AGC) for Law Officers, organised by
Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN), which took place in
Abuja.
The minister, in his address, said the conference was
conceptualized to bring together law officers from the 36 States
Ministries of Justice, legal experts and major stakeholders
interested in furtherance of the fundamental commitment of LOAN
towards capacity building of its members.
The theme for this year’s Conference is: “Reengineering the law
officers sector for effective administration of justice in
Nigeria”
The NBA President mentioned the need for the Bar to support
better emoluments for LOAN members particularly now that so much
was expected from them in the fight against corruption.
Solomon Usifoh Ibhadon, LOAN President, in his speech, requested
the AGF to assist members in coming up with a reviewed salary
structure.
• AGF, NBA President urge prosecutors to fight
corruption
The Solicitor General of the Federation, Taiwo Abidogun has
called on stakeholders in the justice sector to collaborate in the
reform of the justice system.
He therefore urged states yet to reform their criminal justice to
take advantage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA)
by adopting it in their states.
He said the effective implementation of the ACJA would also
promote the rule of law and deepen constitutional democracy in the
country. He said this at a two-day National Sensitization Workshop
on ACJA held in Kaduna State.
The Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr.
Etsu Mohammed, represented Abidogun, who also doubles as Permanent
Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice.
He said: “The criminal justice system has been bedeviled with a
lot challenges, which include human rights abuses, delay in
criminal trials arising from incessant adjournments, undue resort
to interlocutory applications and absence of witnesses in
courts.
“Also is the absence of necessary policies and legislation that
would facilitate smooth, speedy and effective administration of
criminal justice and guarantees free and fair trail of
suspects.”
He explained that ACJA is a merger and consolidation of the
provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) and the Criminal
Procedure Code (CPC) into one principal Federal Act and it applies
to all courts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), all Federal
Courts and institutions involved in criminal justice administration
as well as State Justice Institutions.
ACJA, he stated, has in broad terms shifted the goal of criminal
justice administration from punishment to restorative justice by
focusing on the needs of society, the victims, vulnerable persons
and human dignity by repealing those provisions in the criminal
laws that have been subjected to all form of abuses.
He further explained that while provisions of ACJA could be
applicable to both Federal and State institutions in the justice
sector, the Act under Section 16 has established a Central Criminal
Records Registry in the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) at the Federal,
State, Area, Divisional and Station levels and made it mandatory
for the Police to transmit the decisions of court in all criminal
trials to the Central Criminal Records Registry within thirty (30)
days of judgment.
“Presently only six (6) states have enacted their Administration
of Criminal Justice Law while the House of Assembly in three states
has passed the bill and it awaits the Governors’ assent.
“The Act has preserved to a large extent the existing criminal
procedure laws and also introduced far reaching innovative reforms
of the criminal justice system in the country”, he said.
However, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who
also spoke at the workshop, represented by Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice of the state, Umma Hikima, said the state
has recently passed the ACJ law and it is ready for
implementation.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the President of
the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abubakar Mahmud (SAN), have
called on law officers to uphold the fight against corruption.
The duo made the call yesterday at the opening ceremony of the
2nd Annual General Conference (AGC) for Law Officers, organised by
Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN), which took place in
Abuja.
The minister, in his address, said the conference was
conceptualized to bring together law officers from the 36 States
Ministries of Justice, legal experts and major stakeholders
interested in furtherance of the fundamental commitment of LOAN
towards capacity building of its members.
The theme for this year’s Conference is: “Reengineering the law
officers sector for effective administration of justice in
Nigeria”
The NBA President mentioned the need for the Bar to support
better emoluments for LOAN members particularly now that so much
was expected from them in the fight against corruption.
Solomon Usifoh Ibhadon, LOAN President, in his speech, requested
the AGF to assist members in coming up with a reviewed salary
structure.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/solicitor-general-tasks-states-on-criminal-justice-reform/