Osinbajo, Justice Peter-Odili, Seek Protection For Child, Vulnerable Witnesses

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on Thursday, tasked
participants at a conference organised by National Association of
Women Judges to provide practical and meaningful ideas that would
facilitate justice delivery without sacrificing the well-being of
vulnerable witnesses in the process.

Osinbajo, in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by his
Senior Special Adviser on Research, Legal and Compliance matters,
Prof Bulkisu Saidu at “the Hybrid Virtual Conference on “Protection
of Child & Vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria”, said that such
protection must not only address the overwhelming cultural and
social norms and barriers to exposing criminals but must also
address the problems that the witnesses may face before, during and
after trial.

He said: “At all times, the protection of their privacy and
their identities should be paramount. It is not enough to pass laws
for the protection of the child and other vulnerable witnesses,
there is the need to have in place clear implementation and
enforcement mechanisms aimed at actualising the intendment of the
law.”

Osinbajo also stressed the need for appropriate protective
measures for children, saying that the prevalence of sexual and
gender-based offences against children has further brought to the
fore the imperative of designing appropriate protective measures
for children, who are sometimes the only witnesses to the
offences.

While declaring the conference opened, a justice of the Supreme
Court and the President of the National Association of Women Judges
in Nigeria (NAWJN), Justice Mary Peter Odili, explained the essence
of the Conference on Child and Vulnerable witnesses protection.

She said it was meant to create awareness, cross-fertilise ideas
and congregate experiences that would chart a new course for child
and vulnerable witnesses in the country.

She said Nigeria is behind in the protection of the child and
vulnerable witnesses compared to her Commonwealth counterparts,
adding that, “No single legislation in Nigeria provides for the
protection of the child and vulnerable witnesses in the country.
The situation is further compounded by the challenge of defining
who is a child under the Nigerian Law.

Justice Peter Odili charged the participants to drive discussion
that would provoke lawmakers, legal practitioners and judges
towards a deliberate legal frame work for child and vulnerable
witness protection in Nigeria.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on Thursday, tasked
participants at a conference organised by National Association of
Women Judges to provide practical and meaningful ideas that would
facilitate justice delivery without sacrificing the well-being of
vulnerable witnesses in the process.

Osinbajo, in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by his
Senior Special Adviser on Research, Legal and Compliance matters,
Prof Bulkisu Saidu at “the Hybrid Virtual Conference on “Protection
of Child & Vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria”, said that such
protection must not only address the overwhelming cultural and
social norms and barriers to exposing criminals but must also
address the problems that the witnesses may face before, during and
after trial.

He said: “At all times, the protection of their privacy and
their identities should be paramount. It is not enough to pass laws
for the protection of the child and other vulnerable witnesses,
there is the need to have in place clear implementation and
enforcement mechanisms aimed at actualising the intendment of the
law.”

Osinbajo also stressed the need for appropriate protective
measures for children, saying that the prevalence of sexual and
gender-based offences against children has further brought to the
fore the imperative of designing appropriate protective measures
for children, who are sometimes the only witnesses to the
offences.

While declaring the conference opened, a justice of the Supreme
Court and the President of the National Association of Women Judges
in Nigeria (NAWJN), Justice Mary Peter Odili, explained the essence
of the Conference on Child and Vulnerable witnesses protection.

She said it was meant to create awareness, cross-fertilise ideas
and congregate experiences that would chart a new course for child
and vulnerable witnesses in the country.

She said Nigeria is behind in the protection of the child and
vulnerable witnesses compared to her Commonwealth counterparts,
adding that, “No single legislation in Nigeria provides for the
protection of the child and vulnerable witnesses in the country.
The situation is further compounded by the challenge of defining
who is a child under the Nigerian Law.

Justice Peter Odili charged the participants to drive discussion
that would provoke lawmakers, legal practitioners and judges
towards a deliberate legal frame work for child and vulnerable
witness protection in Nigeria.