Nigeria Criminal Justice System: Stakeholders Identify Ways To Address Problems
Daily Metro News NG
Stakeholders in the nation’s criminal justice administration have identified ways to address inherent challenges hampering the effectiveness of the system.
They identified some of such challenges to include “trials that take years; poor records. Lost files; forgotten victims; agencies working in silos; correctional centres filled with the poor, waiting endlessly for justice and corruption, which is rampant and unrelenting.”
The stakeholders spoke in Abuja at a two-day hybrid sensitisation meeting of criminal justice sector stakeholders on the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for effective Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJLS).
The meeting was organised by the CSLS with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Project (RoLAC) and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
They noted the many benefits inherent in having a unified NMS on the application of ACJA and ACJLS and vowed their commitment to the effective deployment of the NMS.
Participants at the meeting were drawn from the courts, ministries of justice, the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), among others.
The President of the CSLS, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) highlighted the benefits of the NMS, noting that it allows for a unified criminal justice system, noting that “without unity, criminals win, states lose, and the people suffer.”
Prof. Akinseye-George added that if properly implemented, the NMS will bring about equal treatment for every citizen through improved justice delivery, ensure faster trials, and allow for stronger collaboration across states.
He said a well-implemented NMS will also lead to shared knowledge and strength among states, enhanced trust in the system, improved accountability with clear results, and “most of all—it brings improved confidence in the justice system.”
Prof. Akinseye-George spoke about the negative effects of a dysfunctional criminal justice system, noting that “when justice is slow, injustice is fast. When criminals go unpunished, people lose faith. And then, they take the law into their own hands.
“We see it now -everywhere – in the form of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and violence,” he said.
The Director Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, argued that despite the beautiful provisions of the ACJA and the ACJLS, their ability to positively impact the criminal justice system depended on the collaboration of relevant stakeholders.
Represented by a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Jemila Akaaga Ade, Abubakar said: “The implementation of these laws requires a harmonised approach and shared commitment across all levels of government and justice sector institutions.
“The National Minimum Standards will ensure consistency, foster best practices and eliminate disparities in the application of laws across jurisdictions,” Abubakar said.
The Chief Registrars of the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sulaiman Hassan and Hadiza Mohammed Dodo, commended the initiative behind the event.
Hassan, who was represented by the Head, Insolvency Unit of the Federal High Court, Mrs. Mimido Abako, acknowledged the positive effect of the ACJA on criminal proceedings in the court.
Represented by Munirat Oyekan, Mrs. Dodo spoke in a similar manner, but noted that such laws require periodic updates on implementation challenges to determine areas that need special intervention.
She added: “For good measure, adopting a National Minimum Standard on the implementation of the ACJA is only the first part.
“But, to move beyond that will require our collective resolve to ensure that these National Minimum Standards are not just left idle on our bookshelves as mere policy statements,” she said.