By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan
Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola, on Thursday, unveiled the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ) Rules, 2022 for quick administration of criminal justice in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abimbola unveiled the rules in Ibadan during the meeting of ACJ Law Monitoring Committee.
He said that the objective of the rules was to ensure compliance with the administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2016.
The chief judge added that it was also to ensure efficiency and speed in the management of criminal trials and dispensation of justice.
According to him, it will ensure protection of the society from crime and protection of the rights and interests of the suspect, the defendant and the victim.
Abimbola said it would also ensure active participation of all parties to focus on matters that were genuinely in issue for trial, thereby reducing delays and the expenses in trials.
“The purpose is to ensure fair, effective and efficient dispensation of criminal justice; it took effect from Nov. 1.
“Not long ago, the ACJ law monitoring committee was set up to ensure effective decongestion of prisons and reduction to the barest minimum.
“The committee, headed by Justice Ladiran Akintola, has performed wonderfully within a short time by presenting the rules which will further explain the operation of the law.
“Some offenders who are standing trials for simple offences and have stayed in detention longer than expected will be considered,” Abimbola said.
Also speaking, Akintola said that the rules would serve as a replacement to the erstwhile criminal procedure law.
He said that the rules would apply to criminal proceedings before all the courts in the state, except a court martial.
Akintola added that with it, the incident of having congestion at the correctional centres would be adequately dealt with.
He, therefore, urged all stakeholders to take full advantage of the innovations brought by the rules to achieve its aim.
NAN reports that other matters the meeting also focused on were decongestion exercise of custodial centres, setting up of ad-hoc committee to consider list of custodial cases and consideration of the list of inmates in custodial centres by the ad-hoc committee. (NAN)
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