The Borno State Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) has commenced a three-day capacity building training for judicial staff and other stakeholders on Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL).
Declaring the training open on Monday in Maiduguri, Governor Babagana Zulum assured the commitment of his administration in supporting the state judiciary to take the lead in the administration of Criminal Justice Law in Nigeria.
Zulum said though many states were ahead of Borno in adopting the ACJL, Borno who adopted it in 2023 took time to study it to ensure hitch free implementation.
He said that the state judiciary had been steady in its contribution to good governance and deserves to be reciprocated in areas of welfare, training and retraining of judicial staff both at home and abroad to enhance service delivery.
While noting that access to justice was a principle to good governance, Zulum said that the training was timely coming at a critical time when the society was facing an evolving challenge that demands proactive approach.
Also speaking, the Chief Justice of Borno, Justice Kashim Zannah, said Borno who has been in the lead in the speedy dispensation of justice nationwide would do better with the implementation of the ACJL.
“For the past 10 years, we haven’t had the awaiting trial suspects ratio higher than convicts,” Zannah said.
He commended judges in the state for their effectiveness and urged them to further sit up for more effective service delivery with the implementation of ACJL.
In his remarks, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, lauded the Borno Government for its commitment to justice by passing the ACJL, which he said signified a momentous change in the state legal landscape.
Fagbemi noted that the Borno ACJL has several innovative provisions that put it ahead of other states.
In her welcome remarks, the Borno Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Hauwa Abubakar, lauded Zulum administration for its support to the judiciary that led to the implementation of the ACJL.
She urged participants in the training to show commitment by learning from experts for effective implementation of ACJL for maximum results.
Also in his remarks, the President of CSLS, Yemi Akinseye George, lauded Borno for the commitment to ACJL to ensure speedy dispensation of justice.
George, who noted that lawyers alone could not address the problem in the justice sector, urged for collaboration of all stakeholders as encouraged by the ACJL for maximum results.
In his speech, the Senate Committee Chairman on Judiciary, Sen. Mohammed Tahir Monguno, who lauded Borno commitment to law and order in the implementation of ACJL, reiterated the commitment of the Senate to improving the judiciary.
According to Monguno, the Senate had increased the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) budget for 2024 by over 100 percent while the retirement age for judges was also increased from 65 to 70 years alongside ongoing efforts to improve the remuneration package of judicial officials.
Also speaking, the immediate past Borno Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice who is now the Senators representing Central Borno, Sen. Kaka Shehu Lawan, who spoke on how the ACJL was domesticated in Borno, lauded the contribution of all stakeholders for the success story.
In his remarks, the state Chairman of NBA, Modu Grema lauded Zulum for assenting to the ACJL which he said was a big relief for his members who are the major beneficiaries of its implementation.
Highlight of the occasion is the presentation of the Champions of Criminal Justice Award to people who played a critical role in the implementation of ACJL. The award recipients comprised Governor Zulum, Justice Zanna, Fagbemi SAN, Barrister Hauwa, Sen. Monguno and Sen. Kaka Shehu.
