Oyo CJ lists gains of criminal justice law

The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, ‎has said that it stands to benefit from the passage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL).

He listed the gains to include promotion of efficient management of criminal justice institution, speedy dispensation of justice, protection of society from crime as well as the protection of rights and interest of the suspects, defendants and victims.

At a stakeholders’ workshop on the effective implementation of the Community Service Punishment Laws of Oyo State 2016 and Administration of Criminal Law in Ibadan at the weekend, the CJ assured that the law, if enforced accordingly, would help to stem the tide of numerous adjournments as requested for by lawyers.

Abimbola enjoined law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities to ensure compliance with the provision of the Act for the realisation of their purposes.

The CJ said: “The passage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) will no doubt help in the promotion of efficient management of criminal justice institution; speedy dispensation of justice; protection of society from crime as well as the protection of the rights and interest of the suspects, defendants and even victims.”

The government has also urged the police and judicial officers to ensure proper implementation of the laws.The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Oluseun Abimbola, also advocated effective implementation of the laws in a bid to ensure that convicts of minor offences are not sentenced to prisons where they may become hardened criminals.

Abimbola said the judiciary must be ready to fashion out an implementation strategy with internal process management structures to monitor compliance and results.

“These two laws will afford courts in the state the opportunity to sentence convicts of minor offences to hour of community service under thorough supervision, instead of going to prison where they might become hardened criminals.

“The judiciary must be ready from today to fashion out an implementation strategy with internal process.”He, however, appealed to all management structures to monitor compliance and results in the implementation of the two laws.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi, at ensuring speedy criminal administration of justice and decongestion of the prisons, recently signed into law the Criminal Justice and Community Service laws.