President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, and enact a new legal framework aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Thursday.
In the letter, Tinubu urged lawmakers to pass the proposed Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2026, which he said would improve the administration of criminal justice in the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts across the country.
“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 an Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council for effective and efficient administration of criminal justice in Nigeria,” the letter stated.
The President said the proposed legislation was designed to enhance the management of criminal justice institutions, promote speedy trials, protect society from crime and safeguard the rights of suspects, defendants and victims.
He added that the bill would strengthen compliance with criminal justice laws by courts, law enforcement agencies and other institutions involved in the justice system.
According to Tinubu, the decision to repeal and re-enact the 2015 law followed the identification of legal, procedural and institutional challenges that have affected its effective implementation.
He listed some of the challenges as delays in criminal investigations and prosecutions, limited use of technology in court processes, weak coordination among justice institutions, inefficient case management systems and inadequate monitoring of compliance with the Act.
Tinubu said the proposed legislation was reviewed by a team of law officers with expertise in criminal law, criminal procedure and legislative drafting.
He explained that the new framework incorporates recent judicial decisions, technological developments and international best practices in criminal justice reform.
The President also said the bill would strengthen the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council and introduce additional measures to improve implementation by relevant institutions.
He urged the Senate to give the bill expedited consideration.
“In the light of the above, it is my hope that the Senate would consider the bill for an Act to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and to re-enact the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026 expeditiously,” the letter read.
Following the presentation, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action and directed the committee to report back within one week.
The Administration of Criminal Justice Act, enacted in 2015, was introduced to improve the efficiency of criminal justice institutions, reduce delays in criminal trials, protect the rights of suspects and victims, and promote effective justice delivery.
The proposed repeal and re-enactment seeks to update the legal framework in response to emerging challenges, technological advancements and evolving standards in criminal justice administration.
