Senate passes criminal justice bill ...TO REPEAL THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ACT, CAP C41 LFN 2004, CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (NORTHERN STATES) ACT CAP C42 LFN 2004, THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE COMMISSION ACT CAP A3 LFN 2004 AND ENACT THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL, 2013 (HB. 433)

THE Senate on Thursday in Abuja passed the
Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Special
Provisions Act (Amendment) Bill 2014 into law.
The law will help in the decongestion of prisons
across the country and was passed into law after a
clause-by- clause consideration by senators.
The law seeks to compel the Comptroller-General
of Prison to send monthly records of the entire
inmates of prisons to the Chief Justice of Nigeria
(CJN) and the Chief Judge of the relevant states.
Also, the chief judicial officer (state and federal)
shall order release of inmates who fall under the
category of persons whose detention is manifestly
unlawful or persons detained and have been in
custody.
Similarly, inmates who are on remand or
otherwise, for a period longer than the maximum
period of imprisonment, which the persons
detained could have served if they had been
convicted, would be released.
Senate President David Mark, who presided over
the passage of the bill, said the law would help in
the efforts to reposition the judiciary in the
country.
``I want to congratulate all of us for passing this
bill because of its importance,'' he said.
In another development, the Senate confirmed the
appointment of Justice Chima Nweze as Justice of
the Supreme Court following his screening by the
Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal
Matters.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the
senate, on receipt of the letter of nomination from
President Goodluck Jonathan, referred the nominee
to its Committee on Judiciary for scrutiny.
The president, in conformity with Section 231 (2) of
the 1999 Constitution as amended, has powers to
appoint a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
This is on the recommendation of the National
Judicial Council (NJC) and subject to confirmation
by the senate.