By Adenike Ayodele

Stakeholders in the justice sector have said that collaboration and synergy in the administration of criminal justice is vital for an effective and fair system.

They said this this at an assessment and capacity-building workshop on the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), on Wednesday in Lagos.

The workshop was organised by Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, Director, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, noted that each stakeholder plays a unique role, and their collective efforts could significantly enhance the overall efficacy of the justice process.

Oluwafemi said that cooperation would not only enhance the efficiency of justice delivery but also strengthen public confidence in the system.

She highlighted some key points to consider regarding the importance of this collaboration: Integrated approach to justice delivery; information sharing; capacity building; advocacy and policy information.

Others are : reducing corruption and abuse; support for victims and rehabilitation; community engagement and conflict resolution.

“By collaborating, stakeholders can develop integrated approaches that address the root causes of crime while ensuring that justice is served.

“ACJL Committee comprising all stakeholders was set up in Lagos State for this purpose in 2019. It was later backed by Law when it was amended in 2021,” Oluwafemi said.

According to her, effective collaboration fosters better communication and information sharing among stakeholders , allowing for more informed decision-making and case management.

“Stakeholders can share relevant data and insights to identify crime trends and patterns, helping to allocate resources more effectively,” said.

Also, Mrs Toluwalope Aderiye, Deputy Director DPP of the ministry, said that addressing challenges in implementing criminal justice reforms required a multi-faceted approach involving government, civil society and international partners.

She mentioned the challenges to include corruption, inadequate funding, and resistance to change.

Aderiye said that continuous monitoring and evaluation were necessary to overcome these obstacles.

In his goodwill message, the Chief Judge (CJ) of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, said that the punishment and disposition measures under section 15 of the Criminal Law of the state must be adhered to with a view to achieving a balance in overall interest of justice, in the protection of rights and public interest.

Alogba was represented by Justice Hakeem Oshodi.

“The Criminal Law of Lagos State is a prelude to ACJL Lagos State (LS), that is to say they are like siamese twins, in so far as one cannot effectively function without the other.

“It is, therefore, imperative to understand the underlying and guiding principles in establishing the Criminal Law of Lagos State as well as the ACJL LS.

“For the benefit of the doubt, the innovations in the ACJL LS will be impracticable without the guiding principles as encapsulated under sections 3 and 15 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State,” Alogba said.

The CJ commended the NGO for the workshop, urging it not to rest on its oars but make it a routine intervention to bridging the gaps in the delivery of a virile and competitive justice system.

“Building capacity of stakeholders in the criminal justice sector is not only a commendable one but will bolster the swift application of these provisions.”

Earlier, Mr Osita Chukwuma, Executive Director, Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, said that the collective efforts of all stakeholders across the country would also impact positively on the general criminal justice system in Nigeria.

“We recognise and consistently advocate the imperative need for all states in Nigeria to adopt and adapt the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to suit their peculiarities and we are particularly excited that Lagos State has not been left out of this but has done the needful by adopting the ACJA 2015 and passing it into law.

“We also keenly advocate that states should ensure the full implementation of all the provisions contained in the ACJL especially those provisions targeted at reforms.

“We also urge all the stakeholders to deliberately and consistently make use of the Practice Direction made pursuant to the ACJL as this would greatly improve the prospects of implementing the law as it would have practical implementation possibilities in the courts within which the rules apply,”Chukwuma said. (NAN)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran