How experts produced new justice policy

The key stakeholders who gathered for the summit agreed to harmonise and integrate the various reforms which have been articulated into a National Justice Policy and promote its acceptance. A major decision by participants was to institutionalise the justice sector reform initiative by hosting an annual conference to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the new National Policy on Justice. Setting the ball rolling, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the summit is one of the efforts being made to provide stakeholders with opportunities and platforms to “strengthen collaboration, coordination and consensus-builders among justice sector institutions for effective service delivery, promoting the rule of law and socio-economic development.” He said it has provided the participants with “a blueprint which outlines the various reforms desirable in the justice sector to engender smooth, fair, just and transparent administration of justice in the country.” Malami, who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Taiwo Abidogun, harped on the need for the remaining 12 out of 36 states of the federation yet to constitute their justice reform teams in their respective states to do so now that there would be greater collaboration. In his address, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, expressed support to the institutionalisation of the justice sector reforms in the country. Represented by Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court, the CJN listed some of the challenges facing the country’s justice sector to include delays, high cost of litigation and congestion of cases. In his keynote address read by Senator David Umaru, Senate Committee Chairman on Justice, Legal and Human Rights, Senate President Bukola Saraki, stressed that the institutionalisation of the justice sector reforms will reflect the constant dynamics of the society. “It should not be treated like a one off project or talk show but a workable template which must be adhered to,” he said. Saraki recalled that the National Assembly gave effective consideration to bills aimed at strengthening the justice system and quicken the dispensation of justice in the on-going constitutional amendment process. Introducing the nature of reforms done with the draft policy document, chairman of the Technical Drafting Committee of the National Policy on Justice, Mohammed Tabi’u, said it was not just aimed at achieving unity, consensus and joint action, but that the document produced has addressed the needs of the ordinary people of the country. Goodwill messages were also received from the project partners, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the European Union. The major decisions agreed in the content of the draft policy include strategic interventions in critical areas such as, for fair and expeditious dispensation of justice, protection of human rights, access to justice, correctional and restorative justice, alternative dispute resolution, traditional justice system, legal pluralism, independence of the judiciary, and  synergy and cooperation across the justice sector. Other areas which strategic interventions were suggested are: openness, transparency and accountability, funding infrastructure and facilities, legal and professional education, application of information communication technology in the administration of justice, justice sector and national security, legal and regulatory framework for commerce and economic activities, supporting fair, credible and violence-free electoral process, and compliance with treaty obligation. With the development and adoption of the new policy on the justice sector, the shortcomings that have plagued the sector in the country are expected to have been removed for improved vibrancy and functionality that fairly and expeditiously meets the needs of millions of justice-seeking Nigerians.]]>