Kaduna Inaugurates Committee on Criminal Justice Monitoring

The 13-member committee, is headed by the state Acting Chief Judge, Justice Muhammadu Lawal Bello. Other members include eminent jurists, representatives of the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Prisons Service, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and human rights activists. Inaugurating the committee at the state High Court Complex, Kaduna, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Umma Aliyu-Hikima said the constitution of the committee followed the domestication of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Law 2017 in the state. According to her, the inauguration of the committee is part of efforts by the Governor Nasir el-Rufai led administration to reform the state judicial system and ensure the prevention of crimes and the promotion of peace and security in the state. She charged members of the committee to come up with modalities that would quicken the dispensation of justice and prisons decongestion in the state. “I congratulate the Hon. Chief Judge of Kaduna State and all the members of the Committee on your appointment. The high profile personalities that constitute the committee is a clear and manifest indication of the weighty nature of the responsibility it is saddled with. “The committee shall be charge with the responsibility of ensuring effective and efficient implementation of this law by the relevant agencies. “This provision, though rather looking too terse and innocuous, has bestowed on this committee, enormous , challenging and tasking responsibilities of ensuring that all stakeholders in the Administration of Criminal Justice sector apply the provisions of Administration of Criminal Justice Law to the letter with the aim of promoting effective management of the Criminal Justice institutions, speedy determination of criminal matters, prison decongestion and ensuring synergy and cooperation amongst the critical sectors in the Administration of criminal justice in the state” the commissioner said. The commissioner also commended the governor for the speedy domestication of the law, the first of its kind in the north and the interest shown in the take-off of the committee. Speaking further, the commissioner said, “It is my hope that the committee will come up with comprehensive modalities and strategies that will achieve it’s objective and ensure that the issues listed in section 467(2) are attained and actualized.]]>