The Civil Society Observatory Group has called on criminal justice actors to comply with their roles and responsibilities as stipulated in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA) 2015.
The observatory group made this known at a recent visit to the Commissioner of Police and the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice in Lafia, Nasarawa state, stressing that all Nigerians would benefit from the revolutionary ACJA 2015 if adopted by all states.
The group in a statement highlighted some challenges with some states laws which includes “video recording of confessional statements, issue of trial de-novo brought about by death or retirement of a trial judge, an extension of remand timeframe in some state laws which deviate from the provisions of the federal law.”
The observatory group, however, recommended that the Nasarawa State government incorporate provisions in the law that would address delays brought about as a result of death or retirement of a trial judge.
The group also noted that the Nasarawa State law should clearly provide for the agency of the government that will see to the fact that budgetary provision is made for the operation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, ACJMC for the law, which, from experience, cannot perform without requisite funds.
It also advocated for uniformity of the State law with the Federal law so as not to defeat the intent and purpose of the laws which is to ensure speedy dispensation of justice.
As part of its recommendations to the Nasarawa Police Command in the implementation of the ACJA 2015, the Observatory group called on the police hierarchy to create an ACJA Awareness Desk within the Command which should be manned by a capable official to aid dissemination of information about the law to all personnel within the Command.
The group also pledged to support the Police Command in the sensitization of its officers and men on the provisions of the law relating to the police so as to further strengthen their work.
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