…Tasks security agencies, judicial officers on compliance
Ngozi Obiachu, Umuahia
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Centre for Transparency Advocacy, has called for easy access to justice by all citizens.
This was the focus of a capacity building workshop for security personnel and judicial officers organised by the group in collaboration with the Abia State Ministry of Justice.
Speaking at the three-day event which opened Thursday at the Sun Haven Hotel Umuahia, the Executive Director of CTA, Faith Nwadishi, decried the continued flouting of the Abia State Criminal Justice Law ACLJ, 2017, by both security agencies and judicial officers.
She stressed the need for people to know their rights and have access to justice.
The CTA boss said that the workshop was to highlight the provisions of the law and enlighten citizens on their rights.
She solicited the help of the media in sensitising citizens on their rights as provided by the law, and in helping to hold both the law enforcement agencies and judicial officers accountable for the people.
The CTA boss, said the new law prohibited the use of torture to extract statements from suspects, citing a recent court judgement that declared that confessional statements could only be obtained in camera and in the presence of the suspect’s lawyer.
“The police, NSCDC and other security agencies must ensure confessional statements are taken on camera,” Nwadishi stated.
She called for collaboration between law enforcement and the public, and charged security agencies to help citizens get access to justice.
In a remark, Programme and Communication Manager of the rights group, Mr MacDonald Ekemezie, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening the administration of justice system to guarantee free access to justice by all citizens.
He urged the participants from various security agencies and judicial officers to brainstorm on how to improve on the status quo.
Presenting a paper, “A Legal Practitioner and the Facilitator,” Chiemezielam Kelechi Oluoha Steve, stressed the importance of law in society, arguing that no society can endure without good laws.
Highlighting the various provisions of the ACLJ act, Ms Steve, said that “every offence that is not capital is bailable,” contrary to the practice in some places.
Responding to a question, Njoku Udoka, Superintendent of Corrections, attributed the congestion in correctional centres to draconian laws.
He, however, said that efforts were on by the authorities to decongest the facilities and reform the system.
He called on sister agencies to join hands with the correctional service to reform the system.
The event was attended by various stakeholders including security personnel of various security agencies and judicial officers.
