Group urges FG to create criminal division in courts – TheNigerialawyer

Cleen Foundation, a non-government organisation, has called for
the creation of a criminal division of courts to engender speedy
and effective trails of criminal related offences in compliance
with Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

Mr Sulyman Dawodu, Secretary of the ACJA monitoring committee of
the foundation, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the foundations
4th ACJA working group meeting.

Dawodu said that the creation of the division in courts from the
existing court structure would enhance specialisation, proper
channelling of resources, speedy and efficient administration of
justice.

“A creation or designation of criminal division of the court
would fast track criminal cases and decongest the prisons and the
correctional system,’’ he said.

“The division when created would also achieve supervisory and
oversight functions and also reinvigorate the process of
preliminary investigations,’’ he said.

Dawodu urged all law enforcement agencies to recognise the need
to comply with the ACJA and other international conventions on the
best practises of custody management.

He said that the criminal division of the court would also help
in the implementation of effective custody management in the
correctional services when created.

“Adoption of custody record in all law enforcement agencies
detention facilities must be complied with in order to reduce
excess detention time of detainees.

“Law enforcement agencies must be transparent and accountable
with their custody records showing time bounds, date, time of
arrest and other records of offense.

“Practices of administrative bails must be adhered to and
thorough processes of investigation and interview should be
followed as provided by the law as against interrogations and
confessions methods,’’ he said.

He, however, said that if interrogations and confession must be
done, they should be done following the guidelines and detainees
should not be deprived of administrative bail rights or legal
services.

He called for closure on gaps at the prosecutory stages, saying
that prosecutors and investigators must be professionals from a
prosecution department who would focus strictly on criminal cases
in courts.

Dawodu said that if all the provisions in the ACJA were
carefully implemented, persons would not be subject to the
radicalisation that took place within the walls of the prison.

Mr Benson Olugbuo, Executive Director of the foundation, lauded
the efforts of the working group on its efforts in advocating for
the implementation of the ACJA law in Nigeria.

“We laud these project working groups both at the state and
national level for the robust inputs in the implementation of the
ACJA which principally seeks to monitor cases of corruption in
relation to ACJA,’’ he said.

He also lauded the new federal legislation that brought
fundamental changes to the criminal justice system, saying the law
would fast track delivery of justice, efficient management of
criminal justice institutions and protect citizens and the interest
of suspects, defendants and victims.

He called other development partners to contribute towards the
effective and satisfactory justice delivery within the criminal
justice sector.

According to him, the intellectual contributions of development
partners would not only beam the light on progresses made in the
implementation of the ACJA, but identify gaps and workable
solutions to breach the gaps.(NAN)

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