‘Sentencing guidelines will speed up decongestion of correctional centres’

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, have stated that sentencing guidelines and practice will accelerate decongestion of correctional centres nationwide. They made the statements during the signing of the Consolidated Federal Capital Territory Courts (Custodial and […]

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, have stated that sentencing guidelines and practice will accelerate decongestion of correctional centres nationwide.

They made the statements during the signing of the Consolidated Federal Capital Territory Courts (Custodial and Non-Custodial Sentencing) Practice Directions, 2020.

Malami said the introduction of non-custodial sentences by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and more recently the provision of a clear legislative and institutional framework for their implementation by the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 were efforts by the Federal Government aimed at addressing the colossal problem of congestion in correctional facilities in Nigeria.

He said, “The provision for non-custodial sentences such as probation, community service, restitution, compensation and suspended sentence by the ACJA 2015 was one of the main innovations of the act.”

Malami noted that he had at a virtual interactive session by the Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reform and Decongestion in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice on August 17, 2020, called for the review of the guidelines.

Also speaking, Justice Bello said the signing of the sentencing guidelines was a milestone achievement in the FCT judiciary because lack of sentencing guidelines in the past led to misconception with the court often being accused of either being unduly lenient or of playing to the gallery by imposing severe punishment upon conviction, especially in cases of public interest.

Justice Bello, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Committee, said developing a set of guidelines circumscribed the latitude to impose sentences, but within the limit prescribed in statutes.

He said, “The proposed guidelines will therefore provide a system for handing down uniform or consistent sentences for similar crimes where it is strictly followed.

‘’It has been developed and remodelled to assist judges decide with the potential to help eliminate confusion among judges in determining the proper punishment for a convict taking into consideration factors such as nature of the crime, prior criminal history and public interest.”