Align with Senate, Pass Criminal Justice Bill, House of Reps Urged

•Says proposed legislation to abolish trial-within-trial, establish sex offender register in FCT

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The House of Representatives have been urged to follow the steps of the Senate in passing the 2022 Administration of Criminal Justice Bill.

A Law Professor and President of the Center for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, who made the appeal yesterday in Abuja, said that the speedy passage of the bill would enhance the dispensation of justice as well as strengthens Nigeria’s democracy.

According to the law professor, the bill already passed by the upper chamber, would remove obstacles such as trial-within-trial amongst others, that usually clogs the wheel of justice.

“The Center for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) commends the leadership of the Senate and the distinguished senators for their commitment to justice sector reform in general and to the strengthening of the criminal procedure system in particular.

“By passing the ACJ Bill 2022 which contains several innovative provisions the distinguished senators have made clear their strong determination and political will to consolidate the country’s democracy by strengthening the system of criminal justice administration which is one of the major instruments for promoting accountability and rectitude in the country,” he said.

Some of the innovations he listed in the 2022 ACJ Bill included the express abolition of the practice of trial-within-trial; continuation of hearing when a trial judge dies, is transferred or posted or otherwise unable to continue with a trial; establishment of Sex Offender Register in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); filing of defence witness deposition; Recording of demeanour of witnesses; and Dispensation to a Justice of the Court of Appeal to conclude part-heard criminal matter.

Akinseye-George observed that the bill as passed by the Senate also seeks to harmonise the provisions of non-custodial sentences with those of the Nigeria Correctional Service Act, 2019, which recognises the prime position of the Correctional Service as the agency responsible for implementing non-custodial sentences in the country.

While stating that, “all these and other key innovations, which endeared the ACJA 2015 to the stakeholders and development partners are retained by the ACJ Bill, 2022,” the CSLS accordingly appealed to the House of Representatives, “to concour with the red chamber, by speedily passing the ACJ Bill, 2022, which enjoyed the inputs from leading stakeholders like the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and others.”

The center thanked the leadership of the House of Representatives in advance for the anticipated speedy legislative action on the bill.