The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, alongside key stakeholders converged on Abuja Tuesday for the inauguration of the National Working Committee on National Minimum Standards for the Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC).
The 3-day event is organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC II) Programme of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
International IDEA is the implementer of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme Phase II, is funded by the European Union.
The RoLAC II programme aimed to among others enhance the performance, quality, and oversight of the criminal justice system and justice service delivery in Nigeria.
A statement by Manager of Component 1 – Criminal Justice Reform under the RoLAC II Programme, Mr. Badejogbin Oluwatoyin, the project, he said, highlighted the objectives of the event.
Deliverables from the event include: National Minimum Standards for the Implementation of ACJA, 2015; strategies for raising awareness of ACJA/ACJL among the general population; a list of key legal documents related to ACJLs for translation into various local languages and printing.
It was also designed to consolidate the rule of law and anti-corruption reforms, a key component of the programme to enhance the performance, quality, and oversight of the criminal justice system and justice service delivery acoss the Federal Capital Territory, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Edo, Kano, Lagos, and Plateau states.
Professor Yemi Akinseye-George of the Center for Socio Legal Studies (CSLS) during his presentation harped on need to deepen the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJA) and the ACJLS of states among others.
In a keynote address, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said the
Technical National Working Group Session Review and Validation of the National Minimum Standard Document for the implementation of ACJA, 2015 represented a significant milestone in the country’s quest to reform the criminal justice sector and improve the administration of criminal justice and strengthen measures that ensure access to justice.
Represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jessy-Agba, the minister noted that the federal government enacted the Administration of Criminal Justice Act in 2015, with a view to ensuring harmonious implementation of criminal justice reforms across the federation.