The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun GCON, has stated that the evolving realities of modern justice administration require the Judiciary to adopt more balanced, proportionate, and forward-looking approaches to sentencing.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun noted that focusing on alternatives to custody, incarceration, and prison decongestion will address one of the most pressing challenges confronting criminal justice systems across the world, including Nigeria, as a subject that sits at the intersection of law, policy, and humanity.
Justice Kekere-Ekun averred that addressing the challenge of prison congestion, driven by a combination of factors, including delays in the administration of criminal justice, the high number of awaiting trial persons, and limited utilisation of non-custodial measures, demands a shift in judicial mindset; one that recognises and embraces credible alternatives to custody.
The CJN made the statement at the roundtable discussion on enhanced collaboration on alternatives to custody, incarceration and prison decongestion between the United Kingdom Ministry of Justice and the Justice Sector in Nigeria, hosted by the National Judicial Institute.
In his welcome address, the administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo OFR, posited that entrenching alternatives to custody cannot be done in isolation; it requires a deeply collaborative approach between the policymakers, the Judiciary, correctional officers, and other stakeholders.
While urging the heads of Courts and all distinguished participants to cross-fertilise ideas for lasting collaboration, Justice Adejumo expressed hope that the discussions would produce more than just dialogue, yielding the viable, institutionalised outcomes necessary to make alternatives a reality across all jurisdictions.
The British Deputy High Commissioner, Gil Lever, the Deputy Director of the United Kingdom Ministry of Justice, Dominic Lake, the Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Mr S. N. Nwakuche, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, all delivered remarks. Their contributions stressed the importance of continued UK–Nigeria partnership, institutional strengthening, and the adoption of practical reforms to reduce prison congestion. They collectively highlighted the need for innovation, capacity building, and coordinated efforts across justice sector institutions to ensure the effective implementation of alternatives to custody.
... CJN, UK Justice Ministry Push for Non‑Custodial Sentencing to Ease Nigeria’s Prison Congestion ... Naijaonpoint.