President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a new Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, 2026 to the House of Representatives, seeking far-reaching reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The proposed legislation seeks to repeal the existing Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and introduce measures including the abolition of the controversial trial-within-trial procedure, establishment of a national Sex Offenders Register, creation of a Witness Support Fund, and stronger judicial case management mechanisms.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House, President Tinubu said the bill was designed to address legal, procedural and institutional challenges that have affected the effective implementation of the current law over the past decade.
The President stated that the proposed Act would promote faster dispensation of justice, improve the management of criminal justice institutions, protect society from crime and safeguard the rights of suspects, defendants and victims.
A major change proposed in the bill is the removal of trial-within-trial proceedings, a process currently used by courts to determine whether confessional statements were obtained voluntarily before being admitted as evidence.
Under the proposed framework, prosecutors would be required to establish the voluntariness of confessional statements, while objections to their admissibility would be determined at the judgment stage rather than through separate proceedings that often delay trials.
The reform is expected to reduce prolonged criminal cases, particularly major corruption and terrorism trials where trial-within-trial proceedings have sometimes taken months to conclude.
The bill also provides for the creation of a Sex Offenders Register to be managed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, with provisions for recording and publishing details of convicted offenders.
Additionally, the proposed law seeks to establish a Witness Support Fund to ensure timely payment of expenses incurred by witnesses appearing in criminal proceedings.
The legislation will now undergo legislative scrutiny as lawmakers consider the proposed reforms to Nigeria’s criminal justice framework.
