FG seeks collaboration of states, stakeholders to reform justice system, rule of law

The federal government has stressed the need for the federal, states and other stakeholders in the justice sector to collaborate to drive the reform of the justice system for national development.

The Solicitor General of the Federation (SGF) and permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, stated this while addressing a two-day national workshop on the implementation of the administration of criminal justice act (ACJA), 2015 for the North-Central zone, on Wednesday, in Lokoja, Kogi State also, reiterated government’s commitment to reform the justice system and promote the rule of law in line with the national policy on justice.

She said the national policy on justice is the fulcrum of the collaboration in addressing the various challenges militating against the justice system and defines its principles, values, integrity, security and accountability.

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• FG seeks collaboration of states, stakeholders to reform justice system, rule of law
• FG seeks collaboration of states, stakeholders to reform justice system, rule of law

The SGF, according to a statement by the deputy director of information in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Modupe Ogundoro, pointed out that, “Section 29(1) of the act provides a mechanism for the interface between the office of the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation, ditto States Attorney Generals and Commissioners of Police in States to remit quarterly to the AGF a record of all arrest made with or without warrants, in relations to federal offences within Nigeria.

“Section 33 of the act requires an officer in charge of a police station, or an officer in charge of an agency authorised to make an arrest to, on the last working day of every month report to the magistrate within the jurisdiction, the cases of all suspects arrested without a warrant within the limits of their respective stations or agency; whether the suspect has been admitted to bail or not.”

Speaking further, Jedy-Agba noted that the implementation of the provisions is no doubt, aimed at addressing human rights abuses and maltreatment of suspects at police stations and detention facilities in violation of the fundamental rights of suspects enshrined in the 1999 constitution as amended and other international human rights instruments.

“You will agree that the violation of these rights by security agencies has a gross negative effect on public perception and confidence in the security agencies and indeed, the criminal justice system,” the SGF said and charged stakeholders in states, magisterial divisions, jurisdictions, commands and stations to step down the knowledge gained to other colleagues across the board for more effective cross-section collaboration.

In his remarks, the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello charged states yet to domesticate the ACJA 2015 to do so in the interest of the public, noting that the piece of legislation was key to good governance.

Bello, who doubled as chairman and host of the 2-day North Central zonal workshop on sections 29, 33 and 34 of the ACJA 2015, lauded the federal government for innovations brought into the country’s criminal justice system.

Represented by the deputy governor, Chief Edward Onoja, the governor stated further that Kogi State was quick to pass the ACJA into law in 2017 in order to protect human rights and enhance the criminal justice system.

The governor thereafter described sections 29, 33 and 34 as the bedrock of due process and layers of safeguards, capable of preventing citizens from falling through the cracks while in the grip of the country’s criminal justice system.

In a brief remark, the co-chair, Federal Justice Sector Reform Coordinating Committee (FJSRCC), Prof. Mohammed Tabiu (SAN) observed that what the national policy on justice has done was to provide a framework where all stakeholders work collectively to restore public confidence in the country’s criminal justice system.