The FCT Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, has promised to establish community service centres to decongest the prisons and encourage non-custodial sentencing.
Bello made this known at the inauguration of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee in Abuja on Monday.
He said the centres would have beneficial and reformative effect on the character of the convicts.
The chief judge, who is the chairman of the committee, said the centres would be established in accordance with Section 461 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Bello said the centres, which would be headed by court registrar, would oversee the execution of community service ordered by the courts.
“When established, convicts will engage in services such as environmental sanitation, washing public places, assisting in the production of agricultural produce, construction, mining and any other services,” he said.
He described the Act as comprehensive, thorough and total, reformative and revolutionary.
According to him, the ACJA monitoring committee is a spring board for effective justice sector policy making approach to the administration of criminal justice.
Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), the Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, said the committee was an important component of the Act.
He said the ACJA stands solidly as a pillar of democracy, the rule of law and a revolution in the country, and enjoined all to embrace its provisions.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the committee was a great achievement toward the justice sector reforms as prescribed in Section 469 of the Act.
“All hands are on deck to work together and to ensure that the monitoring of the Act is a success,’’ Malami, who is also the Minister of Justice, said.
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said the implementation of the ACJA would go a long way in making the society better and ensure speedy dispensation of justice.
“I charge all the members of the committee to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Act to ensure that the essence is achieved,” Bello said.
The 10 member committee, which has Justice Ishaq Bello as Chairman was inaugurated by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa. (NAN)