FG To Establish National Minimum Standards For Implementing Criminal Justice Reforms
The Federal Government is set to introduce a National Minimum Standard for the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) across the country.
This announcement was made by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF), Lateef Fagbemi SAN, during the opening of a three-day review and validation session for the National Minimum Standards Document, held on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the HAGF highlighted the importance of the session as a significant step toward reforming Nigeria’s criminal justice sector. He emphasized that the ACJA, enacted in 2015, was designed to harmonize criminal justice reforms nationwide, ensuring efficient management of criminal institutions, speedy trials, and the protection of the rights of suspects, defendants, and victims.
The HAGF noted that adopting the ACJA at the state level prevents offenders from exploiting legal loopholes by moving between states to evade justice, a practice known as forum shopping. Uniform implementation of these reforms will help eliminate such loopholes and contribute to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
The National Minimum Standards will serve as a unified guide for both federal and state courts in implementing criminal procedures and enforcing justice, ensuring consistency in the application of the law. To achieve this, the National Working Group on the implementation of ACJA reforms has been established, comprising representatives from federal and state governments, civil society, and other stakeholders. Mrs. Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, Director of the Administration of Criminal Justice and Reform Department at the Ministry of Justice, explained that the initiative aims to address long-standing challenges such as court congestion, delayed trials, and the lack of uniformity in criminal justice processes.
The development of the National Minimum Standards document is expected to create a standardized framework for efficient implementation of ACJA across all jurisdictions.
The session also featured goodwill messages from several stakeholders, including the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC), the Nigerian Bar Association, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), and the Nigerian Police. These bodies expressed their support for the initiative, stressing the need for collaboration to ensure the success of the reforms. The HAGF called on all participants to actively cooperate with the National Working Group, ensuring that the criminal justice system becomes more efficient and that the use of accessible data and technology is integrated into justice delivery.
