The federal government has proposed the implementation of non-custodial measures and sentencing guidelines under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, to reduce the swelling number of awaiting trial inmates in the country.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, made the statement today, urging trial judges to stop remanding minor offenders with hardened criminals, a situation he said lead them to end up being initiated into a life of crime instead of being reformed.
According to Fagbemi, the purpose of non-custodial measures was to find effective alternatives to imprisonment for offenders, describing sentencing as a core judicial function in criminal justice.
He further stated that in sentencing, Judge must strive to achieve the right balance between imposing a merited sentence in the case at hand, while maintaining a broad level of consistency with other cases so that sentencing at a systematic level is fair.
The Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, places premium on non-custodial sentences, preventing abuse and ensuring reasonable uniformity and fairness in the imposition of sentences.
