Practicing Journalists and Media Executive got trained on reporting cases of administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) in Adamawa State.
The one-day training was done in collaboration between Adamawa State Government with the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) in the State Justice Sector Reform Team (ADJSRT).
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri was represented by the Chairman of ADJSRT, Barrister Samuel Yaumande and addressed twenty participants during the training.
The governor said the media is a tool that can easily create public awareness about the existence of the ACJL in the state.
According to him because of the importance of the law which seeks to address many challenges in the judicial system, collaboration with the media to create awareness was very important.
Yaumande who was represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the state Isyaq Abdullahi emphasized the importance of ACJL Law at fast- tracking court proceedings.
He said it was important to check-mate some sharp practices in the judicial system that causes delay in court proceedings that only the media can create awareness on the importance of the criminal law.
A resource person, Barrister Fatima Bello Raji noted that ACJL seeks to address some challenges like excessive use of imprisonment as disposal method by introducing incarceration alternative.
She maintained that the Administration of the Criminal Justice Law mandates the court to give consideration to some issues during the course of adjudication.
She said the Law affords people the opportunity to entrench common standards and principles in the Criminal Justice Law Administration.
Barrister Raji identified some of the points to include correctional centre decongestion and rehabilitation of inmates by engaging them in a meaningful and productive ventures as well as protect convicts who commit simple offence from mixing with hardened criminals.
Barrister Abdulrahaman Iliyasu is another resource person who equipped the journalists with many legal terminologies that they use while reporting on ACJL.
Barrister Abdulrahaman exposed participants the knowledge of countless legal terms on “Highlights of Key Terminologies used in the Justice Sector and Administration of Justice”.
In n his presentation also, the Northeast Vice Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Comrade Zare Baba dwelled on ” Media Reporting and Programming of the Justice Sector “.
Underscoring the significance and relevance of media in the promotion of Justice system, Comrade Baba made a case for the recreation of crime desk by media houses to be be furnished with information relating to court proceedings by the assigned beat reporter.
He urged the participants to, as professionals, relentlessly develop their skills and consciously feature in their reportage what is of public and national interest.
