Afimag.com –
The Federal Government of Nigeria had said that poor implementation of the Child Rights Act in Nigeria is a threat to the effective reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable children into society.
The Director (Criminal Justice Reform Department), Federal Ministry of Justice, Leticia Ayoola Daniels, disclosed this on December 28, 2022, during a sensitisation workshop on proposed adjudication guidelines for children and young persons in conflict with the Laws of the FCT in Abuja.
Daniels stressed the need for extensive implementation of the CRA but however, proposed guidelines for Nigerian courts to consider the age, mental capacity and vulnerability of children involved in a particular case.
The workshop brought together experts and stakeholders in the justice sector, including different legal institutions in the country to brainstorm on factors impeding the full implementation of the Child Rights Act despite coming to light in 2003.
The event aimed to adopt a draft of adjudication guidelines for children and young persons in conflict with the laws in the Federal Capital Territory.
While corroborating the slow implementation of the Child Rights Act, Daniels who was represented by the Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Justice, Godwin Iheabunike, said the proposed adjudication guidelines would facilitate the pace of its implementation, adding that the proposed guidelines would provide uniformity in the adjudication process of judges
“This document is proposed to create that uniformism in that sector. It wouldn’t be too nice that two judges with the same scenario will come to different conclusions and even if they come up with different conclusions it means there must be some kind of framework to get to that conclusion.
“And of course, they are the same framework they are likely to get to the same conclusion eventually. The second reason that is very attractive is that the Child Rights Act has been there but the level of implementation it has been quite slow and this document will produce that speed in implementing this document.
“There’s nothing to say this is the rule, there is nothing to say this is the procedure. The adults have their own procedure, they have their own guidelines except for this aspect of the law,” Daniels added.
