AGF, Stakeholders Seek Uniform Implementation of ACJA 2015

●Adopt national minimum standards

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, together with key stakeholders in the justice sector, have taken significant steps to ensure uniformity in the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

Fagbemi announced this development at the weekend in Abuja, at the end of the stakeholders meeting for the inauguration of the Committee on the Review and Validation of National Minimum Standards Documents on the Implementation of the ACJA. Organized by the Federal Ministry of Justice with the support of the European Union-funded Program on the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC-II) of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

The event culminated in the adoption of the National Minimum Standards Document 2024 on the implementation of the law.

Speakers at the event highlighted that the introduction of national minimum standards would significantly improve the effective implementation of the ACJA, 2015.

The RoLAC-II program aims to improve the performance, quality and oversight of the criminal justice system and judicial service delivery in Nigeria.

According to Badejogbin Oluwatoyin, Head of Component 1 – Criminal Justice Reform under the RoLAC-II programme, the project aimed to establish a national framework to evaluate the implementation of ACJAs/ACJLs and a national scoresheet indicating the performance of each state.

This initiative aims to provide a common basis for evaluating the implementation of criminal justice reforms, promote healthy competition between states, and attract more resources to the criminal justice sector.

The document covers several areas, including pre-trial case management, witness support, case filtering and timescales, bail, remand protocol, trial case management and post-trial procedures. Participants also encouraged the use of plea bargaining and agreed that suspension of judicial proceedings due to an interlocutory application or appeal should be prohibited.

The National Minimum Standards for the Implementation of the ACJA 2015 were designed to consolidate the rule of law and anti-corruption reforms, a key component of the program to improve the criminal justice system and delivery of judicial services in the Capital Territory federal, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Edo, Kano, Lagos and Plateau States.

During his presentation, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George of the Center for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) highlighted the need to deepen the implementation of the ACJA and ACJLs of States.

In a keynote speech, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, noted that the federal government has enacted the ACJA in 2015 to ensure harmonious implementation of criminal justice reforms across the federation. He explained that the law promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice and protection of the rights and interests of suspects, accused and victims in Nigeria.

“State adoption of the law ensures that offenders cannot escape justice by moving from state to state, a practice commonly known as forum shopping. Better and uniform implementation of criminal justice reforms across the country will leave no escape route for criminals, contributing to the socio-economic development of Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the National Minimum Standards were developed to implement the ACJA and consolidate collaboration among stakeholders in the delivery of justice by ensuring that courts at both the federal and state levels apply similar standards in criminal procedures and the application of justice criminal.

The Chairman of the Corps of States Attorneys General, Dr. Ben Odoh, represented by Nassarawa AG, Labaran Shaibu Magaji, described the initiative as significant, capable of creating a balanced and inclusive judicial system that safeguards the rights of all parties and strengthen the legal framework.

Other speakers included representatives from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Police, ICPC, EFCC and NCoS, among others.

In her welcome speech, the Director of the Criminal Justice Administration and Reform Department (ACJRD) in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, said that the initiative arises from the growing need for a unified framework to address the persistent gaps in the implementation system of the ACJA and ACJLs across the country. It identified challenges such as court congestion, unavailability of data, delayed trials and lack of uniformity in criminal justice processes, assuring that the finalization of the document will significantly address these issues.

RoLAC representative Peter Omenka stressed that the entity will continue to support the process and create awareness to ensure that documents are translated into different languages.

“RoLAC is ready to support the process and create awareness so that the documents are translated into different languages,” he said

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