Opening remarks by the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN at the National Workshop on the Minimum Standards on the effective Implementation of the ACJA/ACJLs Organised by the CSLS in collaboration with the FMOJ, Dec. 9-10, 2019.
 
My Lords, Hon. Attorneys-Generals, Permanent Secretaries and Solicitors-General, Distinguished participants, the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Today, it is my privilege as the chief host to welcome you all to our nation’s capital and to this Workshop titled “National Workshop on the Minimum Standards for the effective Implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and Law (ACJA/ACJL)”. 
 
The objective of the workshop is to provide all participants with a forum to discuss, share experience, provide guidance and devise a strategy for strengthening the implementation of the ACJA/ACJL.

As you may know, the ACJA was signed into law in May 2015. This law is not only an instrument that protects rights of persons who come in contact with the justice system; it seeks to ensure that all are treated fairly. 

Further, ACJA lays down guidance for justice service providers on what is expected of them in the discharge of their duties. 

The key provisions of the ACJA include the abolition of lay prosecution at the federal level, prohibition of unlawful arrests prevalent at the pre-trial stage such as arrest in lieu of suspect, arrest for civil wrongs. The ACJ Act prescribes arrest protocols and timelines for carrying out specific functions by the implementing institutions. 

Other remarkable provisions are remand protocols, electronic recording of statements/confessions of suspects, establishment of a central criminal record registry (CCRR) at the Police Force Headquarters, clear-cut guidelines for plea bargain, non-custodial measures and a monitoring Committee to ensure that the institutions of criminal justice work in a more coordinated manner to realize the objective of the Act just to mention but a few. 
 
It is worthy to acknowledge that Lagos State was the first to enact the law in 2007 and amended same in 2011, followed by Anambra State in 2010. Today it is heartwarming to know that several other states have joined the ACJL train. Out of the 36 states of Nigeria, about 30 have adopted the ACJL while in other states concerted efforts are ongoing for the adoption of the Law. 

May I seize this opportunity to encourage the remaining states to join the moving train. I am hopeful that no state will be left behind. 

Distinguished participants I am aware that adoption of the ACJ Act is only but the beginning of the journey of reforming the criminal justice. The second and more important is implementation. However, application of the Law has been slow. So, beyond reforming, laws the federal and state governments must put in place the necessary structures to grantee the successful implementation of the laws. 

The present collaborative workshop between the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) and the Ministry is aimed at strengthening the implementation of the law. We hope to propose some minimum standards which would guide the federal and state governments in the implementation of the ACJA/ACJLs. 

Furthermore, to strengthen the implementation effort, it is imperative to take an interest in making the oversight stronger.

The ACJA/ACJL presents the best chance yet to transform our country’s criminal justice. Since most of the ACJLs of the various states derive from a common source, the ACJA, it is imperative that we work together to develop common standards of implementation across the country.

The focus of this workshop is to gather our collective experiences, and as such requires the active participation of each state; it is your input that will determine its success, and its relevance, and benefit to you in your own workplace and states in particular. 

On our part, we at the Federal Ministry of Justice eagerly await the outcomes of this Workshop which will be used to review the implementation of the law by the federal and state governments in December 2020 or 2021, as may be agreed at this Workshop. 

I hope that this Workshop will be an enjoyable and productive opportunity for us to agree on the strategies for implementing this beautiful piece of legislation. 
Again I welcome you all. I wish us successful deliberations.