Governor Simon Bako Lalong has inaugurated the Plateau State Justice Sector Reform Team (JSRT) which will drive and monitor the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law signed into law in 2018.
JSRT is saddled with the duty of Coordinating, improving and monitoring the process of Criminal Justice Administration in Plateau State, and is charged specifically under Section 465 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law with the duty to ensure that Criminal Matters are speedily dealt with. It draws its membership from all the three components of the Criminal Justice Sector, which are Law Enforcement, the Courts, Correctional Services as well as other players in the Criminal Justice Sector.
While inaugurating the team in Jos, Governor Lalong said the smooth and effective dispensation of justice to the citizens of Plateau State is a very important aspect of his government’s vision which beliefs in the rule of law.
The Governor said “the establishment of the Justice Sector Reform Team in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Plateau State will address some of the vexing problems facing the Criminal Justice Sector. These problems such as delay in the prosecution of cases, occasioned by the antics of defense Counsels who often seek frivolous adjournments, stay of proceedings and interlocutory appeals with the aim of frustrating speedy trials of Criminal cases will be eliminated”.
Lalong also expressed hope that congestion within Correctional Service facilities often caused by a large number of detainees awaiting trial; indiscriminate arrest and detention of persons by some Law Enforcement Agencies and the absence of effective coordination among the Institutions involved in Criminal Justice Administration will be drastically curtailed.
In his words: “With this development, prisons Congestion, which has been a major challenge, will be reduced to the barest minimum, as persons awaiting trial will as far as possible, not be detained in Prison Custody. We also expect that this team will systematically collate, analyze and publish information relating to the Administration of Criminal Justice sector which will form the substance of quarterly reports that will be forwarded to the Chief Judge to guide him towards continuous improvement of Criminal Justice Delivery”
He charged members of The Team to ensure that they make the dispensation of justice seamless so that people will not have any reason to resort to self-help or lose confidence in the courts.
Chief Justice (CJ) of Plateau State, Justice Yakubu Gyang Dakwak, who is the Chairman of The Team, said the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law has come up with solutions to most of the loopholes in the procedural Laws, by entrenching provisions that limit the number and frequency of adjournments that may be granted in criminal trials as well as abolishing the grant of stay of proceedings while interlocutory appeals are being pursued.
According to the CJ, “The Plateau State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2018, is to ensure the system of administration of criminal justice in Plateau state promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime and protection of the right and interest of the suspect, defendant and the victim”.
While appealing to all the members of the team to use their positions as representatives of various frontline agencies to promote the dispensation of justice to all persons in the State, The CJ said: “The administration of justice entails for fair trial, presumption of innocence, impartiality of the courts, the right of remedy, the integrity with which the relevant state organs conduct criminal investigation, arrest, pre-trial detention, trial, and sentencing”.
