Kaduna Inaugurates Committee on Criminal Justice Monitoring

The Kaduna state government has constituted a Judicial
Monitoring Committee on the Administration of the Criminal Justice
Law in the state.

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.

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