Chief Judge makes case for protection of suspects’ rights

Justice Bello, who stated this in Abuja while inaugurating the working group on the implementation of Section 34 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), said suspects are entitled to their fundamental human rights.

He said in view of the need for people to have faith in the judicial system of the country, there should not be a case of torture and illegal detention in police cells or other detention facilities.

Justice Bello said ACJA was enacted to address the challenges confronting the country’s criminal justice system and added that, it is in that view that the working group on the implementation of the act was inaugurated.

“We want the public to have faith in the system. When you hear about confessional statements, there shouldn’t be a question of whether it was voluntary or not and also, there should not be a question of torture in police cells or, people being detained beyond statutory periods”, he said.

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The Chief Judge said the country is trying to measure up to international standard and best practices, adding that the inauguration of the working group will birth the desired change in the area of human rights of persons in a police station and other detention centres.

He said police stations and detention centres across the country should be ACJA compliant, just as he noted that the working group will act as a monitoring mechanism and will enhance transparency on what goes on in detention centres.

He charged the working group to come up with strategies for the effective implementation of the project.

Justice Bello said the proposed visit to the police station will provide a platform to introduce a legal advice scheme to ensure suspects and victims have access to free legal advice and that they are kept in humane conditions as the ACJA anticipates.