The federal government and the Cleen Foundation have called for full implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) in all the states of the Federation to promote speedy trials and strengthen justice in the country.
The Cmfoundation and the Norwegian government also called for the implementation of ACJA dramework as an approach to boost and strengthen the rights and protection of women in the country.
They made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the official project launch of “Strengthening Right-Based Approach to Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) Framework and Advancing Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in Nigeria”.
The event was organised by Cleen Foundation in partnership with the Norwegian Government through the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Abuja.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) noted that the ACJA has already proven to be a transformative legal framework at the federal level.
He added that extending its full application across the states would further deepen respect for human rights, promote speedy trials, and reduce the incidence of prolonged detention.
Fagbemi who was represented by an Assistant Director, Mr David Kaswe said the project was aimed at strengthening justice delivery, enhancing accountability and ensuring that the protection of citizens’ rights remains central to the nation’s justice system.
He said that the ACJA is been fully implemented in 12 states of the federation namely, Ekiti, Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Enugu, Benue, Plateau, Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna and Jigawa. t
Fagbemi stressed that the effective operationalisation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in five states, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa.
He added:“This speaks to our recognition of the critical role women play in peacebuilding, conflict resolution and the promotion of inclusive governance.
“By institutionalising the WPS agenda, we are not only strengthening our justice and security frameworks but also ensuring that women’s voices, perspectives and leadership are meaningfully integrated into decision-making processes that affect national peace and stability.”
The project, Fagbemi said, represents an intersection between justice and peace, rights and security, inclusion and development,” he said.
On his part, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said that the ACJA was an innovative piece of legislation which identifies the protection of the rights and interests of all those involved in the criminal justice process as one of the core reasons for its enactment.
He stated that through some of its provisions, the Act, which has been domesticated by all 36 states of the federation, promotes the inclusion of women in the justice process, offers equal rights for redress and remedies, and also creates protective measures for victims or witnesses of sexual violence and other crimes such as terrorism, trafficking in persons, and related offences.
Adejumo said that the full implementation of the ACJA woukfithout doubt, chart a course for the actualisation of the WPS Agenda in Nigeria.
The Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Svein Baera, represented by Ms. Michelle Hovi, Acting Chargé d’Affaires at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Abuja, said that Norway was proud to support initiatives that promote peace, justice, and inclusive societies.
He also commended the Cleen Foundation for advancing accountability, good governance, and community engagement, which aligned with Norway’s shared values and commitment to strengthening democratic institutions.
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