Time to Reform Nigeria’s Criminal Justice System

With the plethora of legal, procedural and institutional challenges that have long impeded the effective administration of criminal justice in Nigeria, it is hoped that the move by President Bola Tinubu to repeal and replace the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, will address the challenges, Davidson Iriekpen writes

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t is with high hopes and great expectations that Nigerians look forward to the recent bill President Bola Tinubu transmitted to the National Assembly seeking to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and re-enact it as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026.

The proposed legislation is intended to provide a legal framework for the administration of criminal justice in the courts within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other federal courts across Nigeria. It also seeks to establish the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council to promote effective and efficient administration of criminal justice in the country.

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who read the president’s letter on the floor of the Senate, said Tinubu’s proposal seems to ensure that Nigeria’s criminal justice system promotes the efficient management of criminal justice institutions and guarantees the speedy dispensation of justice.