Abuja Magistrates Get Training To Decongest Prisons

A large inaugural to integrate restorative justness into Nigeria’s ineligible strategy is underway, with magistrates successful the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) being trained arsenic cardinal drivers to decongest tribunal dockets and overcrowded correctional centres.

The enforcement manager of Prison Fellowship Nigeria (PFN), Dr. Jacob Tsado, announced this during the opening ceremonial of a two-day Restorative Justice Training for Magistrates successful the FCT, organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme successful collaboration with PFN.

Tsado stated that the grooming is important due to the fact that the occurrence of restorative justness hinges connected the judiciary’s progressive involvement.

“Restorative justness cannot instrumentality clasp without the progressive engagement of the judiciary.

A batch of the cases that are eligible spell to magistrates, truthful they are a captious cohort successful the process of decently establishing restorative justness wrong the FCT,” helium said.

He explained that the extremity is for magistrates to bargain into the inaugural and statesman referring cases to the centre for amicable and expeditious resolution, thereby decongesting tribunal dockets and overcrowded correctional centres.

Tsado said the archetypal grooming is targeting 30 magistrates, with plans for consequent sessions to screen each magistrates successful the FCT, emphasising that the task is simply a nationwide rollout.

“Indeed, we person restorative justness projects ongoing successful each the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, with Lagos, Plateau, Kano, Adamawa, Abia, Anambra, and Edo arsenic aviator states.

“Apart from Lagos State, which has already established restorative justness centres, steering committees successful the different states are moving connected producing documents and mobilising stakeholders with the eventual nonsubjective of establishing centres,” helium said.

Echoing Tsado’s sentiments, the caput of the FCT Restorative Justice Centre, Mrs. Mariam Kombo Ezeh, underscored the pivotal relation of magistrates successful the process.

She explained that the centre operates nether the guidance of the FCT Chief Judge and relies connected referrals.

“We request the magistrates’ collaboration to nonstop successful offenders and victims who person agreed to participate. If an offender has pleaded blameworthy and shown remorse, they are sent to the restorative justness centre wherever we beryllium with the victim, the offender, and the assemblage to find the due restitution,” Ezeh said.

She clarified that aft an statement is reached, the lawsuit is sent backmost to the tribunal to beryllium entered arsenic a judgment. “This helps successful preventing young, first-time offenders from going to prison.”

Ezeh besides outlined plans to cascade the grooming to different stakeholders, including the police, the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and assemblage leaders, to broaden the basal of referrals.

Responding to a question connected extending the inaugural to already convicted individuals, she mentioned the imaginable of parole systems.

“An inmate who behaves good and shows remorse tin person their lawsuit reviewed by a magistrate oregon precocious court, with the condemnation perchance reduced to assemblage service,” she explained.

However, she identified a much contiguous target, the ample colonisation of awaiting-trial inmates.

“We person much radical awaiting proceedings successful correctional centres than those who person been convicted. They are our superior target. If referred for restorative justice, they whitethorn debar a situation condemnation altogether,” she said.