Centre Charges Professionals on Effective Implementation of Criminal Justice Laws

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Center for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), has challenged professionals from various fields including journalists on the successful implementation of criminal justice laws in the country.

President of the CSLS, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, gave the charge during a capacity building training for the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) Rangers (volunteers), on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act/ Administration of Criminal Justice Laws (ACJA/ACJL), in Abuja.

The training organized by the CSLS, and in conjunction with the MacArthur Foundation, is aimed at raising a new generation of young Nigerians and lawyers who will continue to advance the campaign for a reformed criminal justice system in the country.

“These are rangers who have been trained to contribute a quota to the proper implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws of the various states, which we have now put together in the form of national minimum standards”, the senior lawyer stated.

While stressing the critical role of criminal justice in the growth and development of a country, including its democracy, Akinseye-George lamented that Nigeria still witnesses challenges in the implementation of the criminal justice laws.

“We got a message from Enugu recently, and we were shocked at the overcrowding of correctional services. And I know efforts have been made, the minister is doing his best, but we can do more”, he said, “And we can’t leave this business to the government alone. We can’t leave this work to the government alone.

“All of us must take responsibility. As journalists, as lawyers, as practitioners, as court administrators, wherever we find ourselves.

“We must contribute because the people in correctional services have no voice. We must give them voice, by making sure that the criminal justice system works well, legal aid system is reformed”.

Meanwhile, he observed the country’s Legal Aid system is still very weak and that government is not providing sufficient resources for legal aid.

According to him, the Nigerian Bar Association has deployed a lot of lawyers to work, but, the non-custodial system is not working well.

“Many people who are sentenced to non-custodial orders cannot afford to have guarantors, so they remain in prison. So what should have been an alternative is not really working well”, he said.

The CSLS president disclosed the ACJA Rangers are those who volunteer to support and to speak in favour of proper implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, hence the need for the capacity building programme.

According to him, the center haven realised that a democracy that does not have an effective or functional criminal justice system that can hold people accountable, especially big people, set out to get the support of Nigerians to change the narrative.

“Big people don’t want to follow the law, but if you don’t follow the law, all of us are in danger.

“So, we are here to advance the rule of law, to advance proper implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws of the various states.

We are here to push for the implementation of the national minimum standards for the effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. But we cannot do that alone.

“That’s why we continue to reach out to other Nigerians, non-lawyers alike. Because criminal justice, mind you, is not for only lawyers. It’s not for lawyers alone.

“Criminal justice is for all. We can come in as witnesses, as advocates, as practitioners, as judges, as court administrators, as prosecutors, as investigators. All of these have a role to play.

“So that is why we continue to advocate that all of us must commit to the proper implementation. All of us law-abiding citizens. Because the evil people, the wrongdoers, the terrorists, the anarchists don’t want the law to work.

“You cannot have a progressive society. You cannot have economic progress without a sound criminal justice system. So all of us must, right-thinking people, must invest, must speak out, must promote.

“You can see some big men in the past are now having to face the music of the law for wrongdoings of the past. That’s how the law operates. So accountability is key to democracy, key to proper working of democracy”, he said.