News

With the passage of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act(ACJA) in 2015, a number of innovations emerged which not only improved criminal justice delivery, but also improved the management of criminal justice institutions, and enhanced the speedy dispensation of high-profile criminal cases. Following the introduction of the ACJA, states in Nigeria have keyed into the vision to reform the criminal justice system in the country by adopting the Act as the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of their respective states. Adoption of the ACJA by states has followed at least two patterns. The first, pattern consists of wholesale adoption of the federal ACJA with minor modifications to suit the context of the state concerned. This is the approach adopted by a great majority of the states. The second pattern consists of adoption of the federal ACJA with extensive modifications by the state concerned. Only a few states adopted this approach. These include Kaduna, Plateau, Ogun and most recently, Lagos states. This Newsletter will give an update on the passage of the ACJL in Nigerian States.