The Kano State Ministry of Justice has inaugurated a 16-member committee to ensure successful introduction of a new Criminal Procedure bill to be approved by the State Executive Council.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Malam Ibrahim Muktar disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen in Kano on Sunday.
According to him, the committee had been mandated to effect a thorough review of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which had been in existence for more than four decades.
He said the decision to review the CPC was aimed at expunging some of the most archaic aspects of the code with a view to ensuring speedy dispensation of justice in Courts.
He said stakeholders and prominent experts in the legal field had given their respective contributions to the introduction of the Criminal Procedure Bill.
The Commissioner added that the new Criminal Procedure being introduced was part of the effort being made currently toward effecting a robust and formidable justice sector reform, for speedy dispensation of justice in the state.
“No dispensation of justice can ever be possible without effecting an all encompassing reforms,” Muktar said.
He, however, stated that part of the contents of the bill, was to make it mandatory for lawyers to stop seeking stay of execution of Criminal trial in the name of appeal, which after two or three years came back to the floor of the court for the continuation of trial.
“Effecting such a stoppage will ensure speedy dispensation of justice without any legal impediment,“ Muktar said.
On the need for decongestion of Kurmawa prison in the state, the Commissioner maintained that the community had also advocated for the introduction of community service to be rendered by inmates serving various prison terms. for minor offences.
Muktar noted that the Kurmawa Central Prison, which had been in existence for over a century, was initially built to accommodate 700 Inmates, but is currently accommodating not less than 3,000 inmates.
He commended the Federal Government for taking the decision to build a befitting prison in the States for inmates to be properly accommodated.(NAN)
