Senate Begins Consideration of Tinubu’s Criminal Justice Overhaul

President Bola Tinubu has urged the Nigerian Senate to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and enact a new Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026.

The President’s request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate and read during Thursday’s plenary.
Tinubu said the general objective of the bill is to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and replace it with the proposed Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026.
According to him, the proposed legislation is designed to provide for the administration of criminal justice in the courts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other federal courts across Nigeria.
The President said the bill also seeks to establish an Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council to ensure effective and efficient administration of criminal justice in the country.
He explained that the specific objective of the bill, as stated in Section 1, is to ensure that Nigeria’s criminal justice system promotes the efficient management of criminal justice institutions.
Tinubu added that the proposed law is intended to ensure the speedy dispensation of justice, protect society from crime, and safeguard the rights and interests of defendants, victims, the courts, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant authorities.
He further noted that the bill is aimed at ensuring that all institutions and persons involved in criminal justice administration comply with the provisions of the Act.
The President said the repeal of the existing 2015 Act and its replacement with the proposed 2026 legislation became necessary to address legal, procedural, and institutional challenges affecting the effective administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.
He identified the challenges as delays in criminal investigations and prosecutions, inadequate deployment of technology in criminal proceedings, poor coordination among criminal justice institutions, inefficient case management mechanisms, and limitations in monitoring and evaluating compliance with the provisions of the Act.
Tinubu disclosed that the bill was reviewed by a team of law officers with extensive experience in criminal law, criminal procedure, and legislative drafting.
According to him, the proposed legislation addresses the identified challenges while reflecting current developments in criminal justice administration, judicial pronouncements, technological innovations, and international best practices.
He added that the bill strengthens the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council and introduces additional measures to ensure effective implementation of the law by relevant institutions.
The President expressed hope that the Senate would give the bill expeditious consideration.
Following the presentation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action, directing it to report back within four weeks.