ACJL 2017 allows for women to bail detainees – Centre for Transparency Advocacy reveals, as Abia Justice Ministry hints of plans to establish sexual offenders’ register

Participants of a three-day programme on strengthening access to justice for all in Abia State have called for reforms and the enhanced implementation of the Abia State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, ACJL, 2017, emphasising that it would help protect citizens’ rights.

The participants, who spoke on Saturday in Umuahia during the concluding session of the programme organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy CTA, funded by the European Union and supported by the Rule of Law Against Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) noted that the current criminal justice system in Abia State cannot achieve the desired outcomes if the actions of security agencies, judicial officials, community leaders, and local security personnel continue to infringe on citizens’ rights.

One of the speakers, Chidozie Nwosu, President General of the Ibeku Youths Association, called for stricter scrutiny during recruitment into the Nigerian Police Force adding that the current system of open recruitment for youths may fail to guard against the enlistment of individuals with criminal tendencies who could exploit recruitment opportunities to join the police.

Addressing allegations by some participants that the plea bargain system in the judiciary has become a loophole for wealthy individuals, the Permanent Secretary of the Abia State Ministry of Justice, Chibuzor Ehiemere, dismissed such claims.
Ehiemere clarified that poor offenders in the state are also eligible to apply for and benefit from plea bargains.

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Ehiemere hinted of plans to establish sexual offenders’ register to help checkmate incidents of sexual harassments in the state stressing that the register, according to her, will serve as a deterrent to sexual abuse in the state.

The Permanent Secretary also hinted of plans by the state to establish witness support unit to provide transport assistance to witnesses who do not have means of transporting themselves to court as she noted that there had been a remarkable improvement in criminal justice administration in the state since the enactment of the ACJL law in 2017.

Earlier, Faith Nwadishi, the Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy, criticised the practice of denying women the right to bail their arrested relatives as she called for collaboration among all stakeholders to strengthen access to justice for all residents of Abia.

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The CTA ED said the workshop was aimed at sensitizing civil society organizations, the media and critical stakeholders on the provisions of ACJL to increase citizens’ access to justice as she stressed that efficient and equitable administration of criminal justice is central to upholding fundamental human rights of citizens.

She noted that the primary goal of the ACJL “is to speed up trial processes, improve case management and protect society from crime” as she further stressed the need for collaboration among the critical stakeholders to ensure compliance of the necessary authorities including security personnel and judicial officers with the provisions of the ACJL.

Dissecting the provisions of the ACJL law, a legal practitioner and facilitator of the workshop, Chiemezielam Kelechi Oluoha-Steve, said that the law has zero tolerance for frivolous court adjournments, adding that a suspect must be informed of his offense before being arrested.

Kelechi Oluoha-Steve noted that the Law allows a suspect the right not to be handcuffed except if the suspect was violent at the point of arrest as she stressed that the ACJL prohibits arrest of relations in lieu of suspects.