AGF Charges 36 AGs to Embrace National Minimum Standard in Justice Administration

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has called on the attorneys-general (AGs) of the 36 states of the federation and other critical stakeholders in the justice sector to acquaint themselves with the National Minimum Standard (NMS), so as to enhance the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, as well as the state’s Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL).

Fagbemi spoke on Wednesday in Abuja, at a National Technical Review and Evaluation Conference (NTREC 2.0) on the Review of the Implementation of the ACJA/ACJL.

The AGF, in a goodwill message, told participants at the conference, which included representatives of attorneys-general from the 36 states, as well as the members of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), of the critical role they play in driving the nation’s justice system forward.

Fagbemi, who was represented by a Director in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, said: “Your role as key stakeholders in the implementation of criminal justice reforms is vital to the success of the National Minimum Standards initiative.

“Through your mandate to monitor, evaluate, and enforce compliance with ACJA/ACJLs, you ensure that reforms are effectively translated into practice.”

He stressed that the implementation of the NMS across states and the FCT will be critical in achieving a harmonized, efficient, and accountable criminal justice system nationwide.

The minister therefore charged them to “remain committed to this transformational agenda and leverage this platform to share experiences, challenges, and solutions that will further strengthen justice sector reforms”.

Meanwhile, the AGF disclosed that following rigorous validation, he would soon sign and gazette the NMS Document, adding that in order to ensure accessibility and comprehension, efforts are underway to translate the NMS documents into the three major Nigerian languages and conduct sensitization workshops and capacity-building programmes across the six geopolitical zones.

Earlier in a welcome, a Professor of Law and President of the Center for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), observed that the conference is a significant step in the journey to improve Nigeria’s criminal justice system, because it aimed at creating a unified and more effective approach to implementing the ACJA and ACJLS across the country.

While recalling that the journey towards standardizing the nation’s criminal justice practices began in 2019, when key stakeholders gathered to discuss better ways of implementing the ACJA, Akinseye-George maintained that the NMS will ensure consistency and fairness in justice delivery.

Other benefits he listed about the NMS included reduced delays, improved case management, and optimized resources.

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“States can work together more effectively to tackle crimes that cross borders, such as human trafficking and cybercrime. When people see fairness and efficiency in the justice system, they are more likely to trust it,” he said.

The CSLS President however lamented that despite efforts to reform the nation’s justice system, there are major problems such as slow trials, poor record keeping, weak coordination, overcrowding prisons and corruption.

He explained that the NMS provides a structured way to evaluate and improve criminal justice reforms across Nigeria by setting a National Benchmark – Establishing clear guidelines to measure the performance of states in implementing ACJA.

“Encouraging Healthy Competition – Motivating states to improve by comparing progress and rewarding excellence.

“Strengthening Advocacy – Providing concrete data to push for better funding and policy improvements,” he said.