The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has called for the implementation of non-custodial measures and sentencing guidelines under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
In a two-day workshop on the implementation of Non-Custodial Measures and Sentencing Guidelines, the AGF emphasized the need to reduce the number of awaiting trial inmates in the country and urged trial judges to avoid remanding minor offenders with hardened criminals.
Prince Fagbemi stated that the purpose of non-custodial measures is to find effective alternatives to imprisonment for offenders.
He urged trial judges to strive for the right balance between imposing a merited sentence and maintaining consistency with other cases.
The AGF highlighted the importance of sentencing guidelines and frameworks in achieving this balance and ensuring fair sentencing at a systematic level.
The workshop aimed to share knowledge on the effective use of non-custodial measures and sentencing guidelines, with a focus on preventing arbitrary punishments, promoting uniformity in sentencing, and utilizing alternatives to imprisonment to decrease the population of awaiting trial inmates.
Prince Fagbemi expressed the hope that the workshop would contribute to the effective implementation of non-custodial measures and sentencing guidelines, aligning with international best practices in the criminal justice sector.
Participants in the workshop included trial judges, lawyers, and senior officials from the Justice Ministry.
The AGF emphasized the indispensable role of all stakeholders in enhancing law and order through various functions such as crime prevention, detection, investigation, apprehension of offenders, and law enforcement.
