ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Marshal Umukoro, has advocated strong will to drive and implement the reforms contained in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which was domesticated in 2017 in the state.
Justice Umukoro made the call at a two-day training workshop on the implementation of Administration of Criminal Justice Act for judges, magistrates and prosecutors put together by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies held in Asaba
He stated that the beautiful innovations in the Act could not in themselves bring the desired change, except people and institutions demonstrate requisite will-power to implement the reforms.
The chief judge, who was the chief host and chairman of the discussion session, said that one impediment to smooth implementation and enforcement of the act was lack of vehicles for magistrates to regularly visit police stations to ascertain the condition of suspects in detention.
He listed other impediments to include lack of digital cameras for police to record confessional statement of suspects and requisite manpower and inadequate vehicles for custodial centres of the Nigerian Correctional Service to produce inmates in court.
On the strides made by the state government and the judiciary under his superintendent in the implement the act, Justice Umukoro disclosed that within the period, judicial officers and support staff of criminal courts had been sent on regular capacity training programmes.
He also said that the judiciary had created nine criminal divisions of high court to guarantee special manpower, accelerated hearing, determination of criminal cases, and promulgation of the Bondsman Regulation 2018 to give effect to the bail regime and provisions of the act in the state, among others.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, asserted that the main purpose of the act, was to promote efficient management of criminal justice institutions and speedy dispensation of justice, prevent society from crime and protect the rights and interest of defendants and victims.
According to him, the act sought to shift its goal from punishment in criminal justice to restorative justice, which he stated, pay attention to the needs of society, victims, vulnerable persons and human dignity.
In his paper titled, “The Role of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 In Trial of Corruption Cases in Nigeria: How Has It Fared” Professor Ladan affirmed that the number of high profile cases prosecuted and convictions secured increased comparatively after the act was enacted.
The increase, according to him, was due to reform in the new legal jurisprudence which he said provided time line for criminal matters to be concluded in court.
He emphasized that the act had also brought about gender equality, saying that women who met the stipulated requirements had equal right with their male counterparts to stand surety for accused persons.
