NBA, FIDA laud signing of Administration of Criminal Justice Act by Oyo State Govt.
NAN-H-111
Signing
By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Jan. 25, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), have commended the Oyo State Government for signing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) into law.
Mr Akeem Agbaje, Chairman, Ibadan Branch of NBA and Mrs Folake Ajayi, Chairperson, FIDA, Oyo State Chapter commended Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, who signed the Act into law on Monday.
Agbaje and Ajayi, who gave the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said this would help in quick dispensation of criminal cases in the state.
The FIDA Chairperson, who explained why the Act would help in the speedy dispensation of justice, said it stipulated six months for completion of criminal cases.
“ The provision of the law also prevents the police from arresting a suspect before conducting investigation.
“ It must be one step before the other; an investigation must now be conducted before arresting any suspect.
“With the signing of this law the police don’t have any reason to arrest and detain for a longer period on the basis of conducting investigation.
“The provision of the law also prevents the police from arresting the relatives of an offender with the intention of using the relatives to get to the suspect.
“ The person that commits the offence must be the one to be arrested,’’ Ajayi said.
Ajayi said that the law would be highly beneficial to the bar, the bench and the society at large.
She, however, disagreed with the impression that lawyers were the cause of delays in the dispensation of justice, saying lawyers were noble people who would not allow any case to drag on forever.
Ajayi claimed that lawyers always adjourned cases or failed to appear in court due to factors that were often beyond their control.
“ Some lawyers may have a case at a lower court and receive hearing notice at a higher court, definitely such lawyer will go to a higher court and not be able to attend to the case at the lower court,’’ Ajayi said.
On his part, the NBA Chairman said that the old criminal code was not in tune with the current challenges facing criminal cases in Nigeria and so the introduction of the ACJA became imperative.
Agbaje said that the ACJA had also guaranteed the decongestion of prisons as minor offenders could be sent to do community service instead sending such offenders to jail.
He also hailed the law saying now proceedings would not be unnecessarily stalled when an appeal was filed by a counsel, “so this law has significantly reduced anything that would delay trial of justice.’’ (NAN)
SYS/DOR/AFA
Edited by Nyisom Dore/Felix Ajide