By Ogar Monday; House of Assembly Correspondent
The Cross River State House of Assembly has passed into law, the Cross River State Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2016 at its sitting on Wednesday.
While presenting the report on the bill, Hon. Nelson Ofem Chairman House Committee on Judiciary, Public Service Matters, Public Petitions and Conflict Resolution said the bill was made to ensure quick and effective dispensation of justice that would leave all parties to a case happy at the end.
His words, “This bill when passed would ensure quick justice dispensation, protection of the society from crimes and protection of the rights and interest of the suspect, the defendant and the victims in Cross River State”.
Hon. Ofem revealed that the “Administration of Criminal Justice Bill in Cross River State is a domestication of the Act earlier passed by the National Assembly in 2015”.
Adding that, “The need for the domestication is because it is principally a criminal procedure Act which every State needs to adopt to strengthen the criminal justice institutions. The bill is therefore, intended to standardize the criminal justice delivery system in the State. Going by the old laws of Criminal Justice Administration which specify outright punishment for offenders”.
Furthermore, he said, “The Criminal Justice Administration Bill differs because it provisions seek to safe guide the rights of the citizens. The bill also seeks to repeal the Criminal Procedure Code Cap. C.17, Vol.3 Law of Cross River State”.
After the House returned from the Committee of the Whole, where they scrutinized the bill and then passed into Law with the Speaker Hon. John Gaul Lebo directing the Clerk to make clean copies of the bill available to the Governor, Senator Ben Ayade for assent.
The bill which was sponsored by the member representing Yala State 2 Constituency, Hon. Ugana Lukpata and 6 others has 49 Parts, 492 Sections and 2 Schedules.