This, he said, would prevent prolongation to the detriment of accused persons.
Zakariyya, who is the founder of Savannah Law Firm Chamber, made the plea in his presentation on an overview of the Implementation of the Administration of Kebbi Criminal Justice Law 2021, in Birnin Kebbi, on Friday.
”If case management is successfully implemented in deciding cases in election litigations, it can equally function well in criminal matters.
”In reviewing the implementation of the Kebbi State Administration of the Criminal Justice Law, 2021, there is sequence, from arrest, to remand, to arraignment and prosecution.
”With case management in place, criminal cases can be decided in 30 days,” he observed.
According to him, other innovation in the law include the provision of allowing women to serve as surety in bailing suspects, “not permissible until now”.
”Also, the issue of parole, which empowers the courts to mitigate jail terms of convicts if they imbibe good conduct while in prison, by releasing them on parole,” he added.
Zakariyya explained that unlike before, the 2021 law enabled the courts to award cost against prosecution.
”Similarly, before now, courts had no power to convict and reserve sentencing, but the 2021 law empowers the courts to do so by holding ‘sentencing hearing’ where the defence can bring appeal before the court to beg for lighter sentences for clients on account of enormous family burden,” he said.
The legal practitioner advocated for the courts to exercise non custodial sentence such as ordering the convict to sweep public places for a time frame with condition attached.
This, he said, would enhance reformative justice and help to decongest custodial centres.
Participants at the review meeting were drawn from the judiciary, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Police and Correctional Services.
Others included Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department for State Security Service (DSS), as well as Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), among others.
