Fundamental to the issue of prolonged awaiting trial detainees is the reformation of the nation’s administration of criminal justice system, which consists of the police, the prosecutors, the courts and the prison service. Although the Constitution provides that a person who is charged with an offence and who has been detained in lawful custody awaiting trial shall not continue to be kept in such detention for a period longer than the maximum period of imprisonment prescribed for the offence, it is common to find persons charged with simple offences languishing in prisons awaiting trial for years. The criminal justice system is really complicated especially against the vulnerable ones in the society. The overall importance of an effective criminal justice system in a democratic system cannot be over-emphasised as it provides a certain balance in ensuring peace and order. The issue of reform of criminal justice system has been a recurrent decimal in public policy budgets and seminars.

Source: The Guardian September 14, 2018 04:07 UTC