Jigawa to begin implementation of ACJA

The Jigawa State government is set for the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act after it signed the bill into law on June 27.

Last week, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the MacArthur project held a public forum on the implementation of the project in Dutse, the state capital.

The forum was part of the mandate of the NBAMacArthur project to ensure the domestication and implementation of the ACJA, 2015 across the 28 states in Nigeria.

During the public forum, the Project Coordinator, Victor Abasiakan-Ekim, Esq., who represented NBA President Paul Usoro (SAN), apologised for the absence of the president and reiterated the goal of the Act for the speedy and efficient management of criminal justice.

‘‘ACJA will fall short of its potential if it only remains a federal law. In view of the need for uniformity, clarity, and better administration of justice throughout the country, it is essential for states to adopt this law,’’ he said.

Salman Rilwan of the Nigerian Law School, Kano Campus who delivered the keynote paper titled, ‘The Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and The Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Jigawa Sate, 2019: A Perspective on Some Key Areas in the Laws’, analysed the application of the two laws; the purpose of their enactment; their relationship with the CPA and the CPC and some other key areas of importance requiring special attention.

A lead discussant, Siraj Sa’eda (SAN) sounded a word of caution to stakeholders that, although ACJL brought some new revolutions, some jobs must be done, adding that it is not just to applaud.