Stakeholders in the judicial sector have called for the effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJL) across states of the federation.
The Executive Director, Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, Osita Chukwuma, made the call in Asaba on Wednesday.
Chukwuma spoke during a training organised by the Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
The training was organised for stakeholders on popularising and disseminating ACJL and continuous updating of the laws to reflect amendments.
Chukwuma, represented by Austin Udechukwu of the centre, urged stakeholders in the criminal justice sector to ensure the reforms succeed in Delta.
He described Delta as a reform-minded state and commended it for its proactive approach toward the effective implementation of the laws.
He asserted the state’s ACJL provisions had placed it ahead of other states in terms of implementation and the necessary legislative framework needed for the implementation to conform with global best practices.
He said the project aimed at achieving the objective of assessing the needs of individual states and providing technical and logistical support to the criminal justice sector in the various states.
He emphasised the project would also focus on popularising and disseminating ACJL, while continuously updating the laws to reflect amendments.
He mentioned Nasarawa, Kano, Akwa-Ibom, Oyo, Enugu and Adamawa as some states where the project had been successfully implemented.
Meanwhile, Delta Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, said ACJL had, in the state, come up with innovations such as decongestion of correctional centres, technological implications and virtual court hearings.
He noted the state was implementing restorative justice as an alternative approach to settling disputes and creating a more united rather than a disorderly and disunited society.
According to Ohwovoriole, represented by Mr Pellen Ejiofor, Director of Restorative Justice, Delta Ministry of Justice, ACJL has improved the criminal justice system in the state.
Earlier, Delta Controller of Correctional Service, Mr Raymond Nwagu, described the law as an instrument that perfects the rights of every person who comes in contact with the justice system.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nwagu was represented by the state Assistant Controller of Correctional Service, Mrs Pauline Egbon.
He said the Nigeria Correctional Service, in 2019, made provisions for a non-custodial measure in its operations in the form of community service and a restorative justice approach among other measures.
Delta Chief Judge, Justice Tessy O. Diai and Mr Omamuzo Erebe, Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Delta Ministry of Justice, were present at the workshop.
Others are Justice G. B. Briki-Okolosi, Chairman, Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee and Ms Onyekachi Eke of the Law Hub Development and Advocacy.
