AGF Tasks State AGs, Others On Review Of Criminal Justice Laws

Attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has urged stakeholders, attorneys-general of states, civil society organisations and international development partners to commit to the effective implementation of all policies, programmes and laws that will lead to a dynamic and effective criminal justice administration in the country.

Fagbemi said one of the cardinal points of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu-led administration is the commitment to ensuring that the criminal justice system of the country is more responsive to the demands of Nigerians for a simple, fast, efficient, effective, fair and trustworthy system for dispensation of justice.

The AGF stated this in his keynote address at a three-day National Stakeholders’ Forum organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies.

The theme of the forum is “Review of the Implementation of Administration of  Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and Administration of  Criminal Justice Laws of States.

The minister noted that the passage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law by all the 36 states of the federation had provided a common ground to address the critical issues and challenges confronting Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

“It has provided us with a shared platform that would enable us to scale up our efforts and seek new practical solutions to identified challenges,” he said.

In conducting the review of the ACJA/ACJLs, Fagbemi advised participants to ask questions regarding the nature and workability of the strategic amendments that needed to be done in order to make ACJA/ACJLs respond to critical challenges and needs of the society.

“We need to know what we could have done better, and how much further we need to go to enable us to achieve the desired outcome.

“In addition, we will collaborate and work with colleagues in the private and public sectors, including fellow attorneys-general to develop and agree on a National Minimum Standards that would guide our collective efforts at achieving a more balanced, effective and inclusive system of justice.

“It is expected that criminal justice institutions, anti-corruption agencies and other justice sector operatives will commit to, and observe the prescribed National Minimum Standards.

“My expectation is that at the conclusion of these deliberations, there would be a consensus around developing a strategic plan to guide both the Federal and State Governments in the review and consequent amendment of ACJA and the respective ACJLs of various States,” he said.