PRESS RELEASE on Body of Attorneys General recent Meeting
COMMUNIQUE OF THE MEETING OF HONOURABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE WITH THE BODY OF STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL HELD ON THE 28TH JULY, 2016 IN ABUJA.
The Body of Attorneys General met and deliberated on a wide range of issues, including the draft National Policy on Prosecution, Code of Conduct and Guidelines for Prosecution. After exhaustive deliberation on the issues presented, the Body unanimously resolved as follows:
1. The Body recognized the need for the National Policy on Prosecution that will provide the needed professional guidelines for Prosecutors in the discharge of their duties which is sine-qua-non to the attainment of effective and efficient Administration of Criminal Justice.
2. The Body noted and agreed on the need for Attorneys General to come together to put in place, mechanisms and strategies that will facilitate the effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act in their respective States and the Country in general.
3. The Body constituted a Committee with representation from the 6 geo-political zones to resolve the concerns of members and harmonise the Policy with other existing Code of Conduct and Guidelines currently in place in some states with a view to coming up with a National Policy that meets the hopes and aspirations of all the Prosecuting MDAs in the Country.
4. Other issues for deliberation by the Committee would include:
I. The issue of the extension of General Fiat to all States of the Federation to enable them Prosecute the Federal Offences in their States.
II. The issue of domestication of the ACJA in their States to ensure uniformity of approach in Criminal Justice Administration, taking into consideration, the peculiarities of each State.
III. The issue of funding of Prosecutorial Activities, compensation of the victims of crime.
IV. The meeting recognized the effort of the Federal Ministry of Justice in collaborating with the States to drive the reform in the Justice sector and inspire confidence in the Administration of Justice.
5.   In conclusion, the Body welcomed the frank and positive discussions and agreed on the set of actions to be undertaken by the Body.
6.   The Body also agreed to meet regularly as well as defer to the near future, a discussing other important issues of national interest that will propel the political and socio-economic development of the Nation.
THIS COMMUNIQUE IS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS BY:
Comrade Salihu Othman Isah
Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice
Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja.
11th August, 2016.
