FCT: Guidelines, monitoring framework on non-custodial sentences launched
The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf, has launched the Guidelines and Monitoring Framework on Non-Custodial Sentences, aimed at reducing congestion in correctional facilities and promoting the rehabilitation of petty offenders within the FCT. The new framework introduces an internal monitoring mechanism to enhance the adoption of non-custodial […]
The Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf, has launched the Guidelines and Monitoring Framework on Non-Custodial Sentences, aimed at reducing congestion in correctional facilities and promoting the rehabilitation of petty offenders within the FCT.
The new framework introduces an internal monitoring mechanism to enhance the adoption of non-custodial measures by FCT courts in eligible cases. It also seeks to strengthen collaboration between the courts and the Nigerian Correctional Service in implementing alternatives to imprisonment.
The signing ceremony, held at the Judges’ Conference Room of the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, was attended by Honourable Judges of the FCT High Court, Magistrates, the Director-General of the Legal Aid Council, the Executive Secretary of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), representatives of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and other key stakeholders in the criminal justice sector.
The initiative, championed by the ACJMC, aligns with one of its core statutory mandates under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which seeks to ensure the effective implementation of non-custodial measures and the decongestion of custodial facilities across the country.
Meanwhile, capacity-building programmes for key stakeholders—including Non-Custodial Officers, Magistrates, and Registrars in the FCT—are scheduled to begin next week. The training will be organized in collaboration with the Legend Golden Care Foundation.