Niger acting CJ speaks on domesticating ACJA, commends MacArthur, NBA

The acting Chief of Judge of Niger State Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik has applauded the MacArthur foundation and the National Secretariat of the Nigerian Bar Association for its commitment toward the domestication and implementation of Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The acting Chief Judge spoke at a stakeholders forum on domestication and implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 state validation public forum held Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna.

She stated that the domestication of administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 (ACJA), will assist in ensuring the speedy dispensation of Justice in the state.

Justice Halima noted that the passage of the administration of Criminal Justice Act, will among others address the delay in the administration of criminal Justice, decongest cases in courts and checkmate corruption in the Judiciary.

She called on the Niger State House of Assembly to hasten up in ensuring the speedy passage of the administration of Criminal Justice Act, noting that Niger state is among the few states yet to domesticate the ACJA.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Minna branch Mallam Mohammed Abubakar El-Surur, observed that most of the laws in Niger State were obsolete and called for speedy domestication of the act for quick dispensation of criminal Justice in Niger State.

He stated that no society can survive on obsolete law urging the State House of Assembly to as a matter of urgency ensure the speedy passage of the act.

Also speaking, the Chairman House Committee on Judiciary in the Niger State House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Bello Agwara assured that the State Assembly is committed to ensure the speedy passage of the ACJA act in the state.

He disclosed that the ACJA bill has passed the second reading and already in committee level, adding that the House Committee on Judiciary will soon call all stakeholders for public hearing for onward passage of the act.

In his remarks at the forum, the Dean faculty of law in University of Jos, Prof. Alphonsus Alubo,(SAN) observed that the passage of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) will assist in bringing succour to the criminal Justice system in Niger State and the criminal Justice in the nation judiciary system.

He noted that the domestication of the act will among others remedy convictions of offenders explaining that instead of convicting an offenders the conviction will be placed on hold thereby decongesting the correctional facilities across the country.

Prof. Alubo expressed concern over the increasing proportion of inmates on awaiting trial across the correctional facilities in the country, describing the trends as unhealthy to the criminal Justice system in the country.

He insisted that the ACJA act if domesticated in the nation’s legal system it will go along way ensuring the speedy dispensation of Justice “in our courts and reducing cases in courts”

He suggested that the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the country should take over the prosecution of cases in the lower courts of competent jurisdiction than allowing police to prosecute cases noting that “if police must prosecute in court, the police must have to be a lawyer.”