Tinubu transmits bill to establish criminal justice monitoring council to Senate

President Bola Tinubu has sent a bill to Nigeria's Senate proposing to replace the 2015 Administration of Criminal Justice Act with a new version in 2026. The legislation aims to modernize the criminal justice system, particularly within the Federal Capital Territory and federal courts nationwide.

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The general objective of the bill is to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, and to enact the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026 to provide for the administration of criminal justice in the courts of the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts in Nigeria and establish the Establishment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council for effective and efficient administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.

A key component of the proposed act is the establishment of an Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council. This council is intended to ensure the effective and efficient administration of criminal justice across the country. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the bill's transmission during a plenary session.

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The specific objective of the bill, as indicated in Section 1, is to ensure that the system of administration of criminal justice in Nigeria promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime, and protection of the rights and interests of the suspects, the defendants, and the victims, and also the courts, the law enforcement agencies, and other authorities or persons involved in criminal justice administration comply with the provisions of the Act.

Tinubu stated that the bill's objective is to promote speedy justice, protect societal safety from crime, and safeguard the rights of suspects, defendants, and victims. It also seeks to ensure compliance with the Act by all involved in criminal justice administration, including courts and law enforcement agencies.

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The reasons for the repeal of the Extant Act and the re-enactment of the Proposed Act of 2026 is to address certain legal, procedural, and institutional challenges that have been identified as hampering the effective administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.

The president highlighted that the bill addresses identified legal, procedural, and institutional challenges. These include delays in investigations and prosecutions, insufficient use of technology, poor coordination among justice institutions, ineffective case management, and limitations in monitoring compliance. The proposed act, reviewed by legal experts, is designed to overcome these hurdles.

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Under the Extent Act of 2015, the challenges include delays in criminal investigations and prosecution, inadequate deployment of technology in criminal proceedings, inefficient coordination among criminal justice institutions, ineffective case management mechanisms, and limitations in the monitoring and evaluation of compliance with the provisions of the Act.