The Lagos State Judiciary on Tuesday unveiled the Non-Custodial Sentencing Practice Direction 2025, a reform designed to reduce reliance on prison terms while promoting rehabilitation, crime prevention, and reintegration of offenders into society.
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The initiative, developed in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation and the Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, also received input from civil society groups and key justice sector institutions.
At the launch, Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, described the reform as a permanent shift in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
“Non-custodial sentencing has come to stay. It is not just an alternative; it is a permanent change in the administration of justice. What we must now ensure is that judges, agencies, and all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities in enforcing it,” Justice Alogba said.
He added that the guidelines would eliminate inconsistencies in sentencing, provide judges with clearer direction, and strengthen collaboration among agencies supervising offenders. Timely enforcement of judgments, he noted, is crucial to sustaining public trust in the justice system.
MacArthur Foundation Senior Programme Officer, Yvonne Darkwa-Poku, praised Lagos State for its leadership, calling the launch a significant step toward fairness, reduced prison congestion, and a justice system more responsive to societal needs. She highlighted that MacArthur and its partners have supported criminal justice reforms since the passage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
From the civil society perspective, Mrs. Adenike Oluwafemi of Law Hub described the reform as “long overdue,” noting that Nigeria’s correctional centres remain overstretched. She said the practice direction provides judges with a practical tool to implement non-custodial sentences and could drive national adoption, given Lagos State’s history of pioneering reforms.
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Other speakers, including Mrs. Yemisi Akile of the Human Rights Commission, welcomed the reform as a practical solution to chronic prison congestion. Representatives from the Lagos State Police Command, Attorney General’s office, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Bar Association, and other civil society organisations stressed that the reform’s success hinges on inter-agency cooperation, punctual enforcement of sentences, and strict adherence to the new guidelines.
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