BY MAGNUS EMUJI
Stakeholders in the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) in Delta State, have been lauded for their proactive approach towards the effective application of the laws.
The Executioner Director, Law Hub Development and Advocacy, Osita Chukwuma gave the commendation in Asaba during a training programme organized by the Law Hub Development and Advocacy, supported by the MacArthur Foundation for the stakeholders on the popularizing and disseminating the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws(ACJL) of States and continuous.
Represented by Barr Austin Idechukwu, the Executive Director urged actors in the criminal justice sector in the state to ensure that the reforms succeed and described the state as reform-minded.
He asserted that the provisions made by the state in its Administration of Criminal Justice Law have not only put the state ahead of other States but also give the state the needed legislative framework for implementing global best practices.
Chukwuma commended the stakeholders including the Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Diai; the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ekemejero Ohwovoriole as well as other key players in the criminal justice system for attending the workshop.
He enumerated States where the project had been successfully implemented to include Nasarawa, Kano, Akwa-Ibom, Oyo, Enugu and Adamawa. In his remarks, the State Attorney -General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, represented by Mr Pellen Ejiofor, Director of Restorative Justice, said that ACJL in the state has come up with several innovations such as the decongestion of correctional centres, technological implications and virtual court hearings.
Ohwovoriole stated that the state was implementing restorative justice as an alternative approach to settling disputes and creating a more united society rather than a disorderly and disunited society, just as he added that ACJL has improved on criminal justice system in the state.
Earlier, the State Controller of Corrections, Mr Raymond Nwagu, who was represented at the event by the OC Legal and Assistant Controller, Mrs Pauline Egbon described the law as an instrument that perfected the rights of every person who came in contact with the justice system.
Resources persons at the workshop included the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe; the Chairman of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, Justice G. B. Briki-Okolosi, among others.
