The Ebonyi State governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, has attributed the insecurity and poor investor confidence in the South-East to the deteriorating state of the criminal justice system in the zone.
This is even as the governor advocated for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
Governor Nwifuru also called on the relevant authorities to address the incessant delays in the administration of justice in the country.
He spoke in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Wednesday while presenting a keynote address during the South-East Policy Summit on Criminal Justice Reforms.
The summit was organised by South-East Body of Attorneys-General and was designed to bring together key stakeholders in Criminal Justice Administration delivery to acquire sound professional knowledge and skills about viable alternative means to retributive criminal justice system.
He maintained that successive administrations at various levels have initiated programmes and projects aimed at improving the State Criminal Justice Delivery and access to justice generally having realised the magnitude of the problem.
Governor Nwifuru expressed the regret that most of the efforts have failed to produce the desired outcomes due to flawed design or implementation or a disregard for the need for innovative reforms that combine the current retributive justice system with a restorative and reparative approach.
He called on stakeholders and practitioners to endeavour to understand the dynamics of the emerging principle to be able to fully harness its potential.
“The implementation of the outcome of the summit will be an investment in public security, peace and development, reinforcing the pillars of the rule of law and sound democratic culture,” the governor said.
In his presentation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, called on stakeholders and authorities in the region to support measures that will ensue effective implementation of the reforms through legislative amendments.
“It is not in doubt that an effective and efficient justice system is a panacea for peace, stability and economic growth and development. Consequently, it is critical to continue to take necessary steps to promote access to justice and rule of law within our respective spheres of authority,” the Minister stated.
For his part, the Attorney General of Ebonyi State and chairman, Body of South-East Attorneys-General, Dr. Ben Odo, said the outcome of the summit will substantially reduce the number of cases that hinder the court system and cause undue delays in the administration of criminal justice system.
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