Stakeholders Advocate Adequate Funding, Equipment For Criminal Justice Administrators
By Murtala Muhammad
Stakeholders at a Capacity Building workshop in Bauchi, have called for the provision of adequate funding, equipment and other resources for Justices and Magistrates to ease their work of ensuring justice to litigants.
They have also recommended training and retraining of all Criminal Justice stakeholders especially on the newly domesticated Bauchi State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), to enable them served justice accordingly.
They made the call at the ACJL Implementation Assessment and Training Workshop for Criminal Justice Stakeholders, organized by Law Hub Development & Advocacy Centre with support from MacArthur Foundation.
It was recommended that there is need for synergy between the Police and the state ministry of Justice especially in areas involving remand procedures, legal advice, drafting of charges among others.
The participants urged Criminal Justice Stakeholders to dedicate adequate time in reading and understanding the Administration of Criminal Justice Law to enable them implement it appropriately.
It was also agreed that the State Chief Judge and other principal stakeholders should make more efforts in making complementary laws that would help in the full implementation of the ACJL, such as complementary laws, which include; Sentencing Guidelines, Plea Bargain and Practice Direction.
They highlighted that the State Chief Judge should issue a directive to Judges and magistrates to conduct oversight visits to police divisions and other places of detention.
Earlier speaking, the Executive Director, Law Hub Development Advocacy Centre, Mr Osita Chukwuma who called on the Bauchi state government to ensure full implementation of the newly domesticated Administration of Criminal Justice Law, commended it for the bold step
Mr Osita, who was represented by Mr Joshua Dada noted the challenge of implementing the ACJL, emphasizing the need for synergy, sharing of resources, knowledge and information towards achieving the desired objectives.
He assured commitment of Law Hub Development Advocacy Centre in supporting Bauchi and other states in the federation towards actualising remarkable successes.
In her remark, State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, represented by Justice Aliyu Baba Usman applauded Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre for organizing the workshop and assured to strengthen the partnership.
The Workshop has in attendance, Justices, Magistrates, Lawyers, relevant Security Agencies and other stakeholders.
