By Tina Amanda
In a bid to ensure criminal investigations meet the standards required by the justice system, the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council (ACJMC) has introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) desk.
Justice Simeon Amadi, the Chief Judge of Rivers State and Chairman of the ACJMC, unveiled the SOP booklet during a formal presentation to the Police and the Ministry of Justice in Port Harcourt.
Justice Amadi highlighted that the SOP is designed to guide prosecutors and legal practitioners in conducting evidence-based investigations, thereby improving the prosecution of reported crimes in the state.
“This initiative marks a significant milestone in the ongoing commitment of the Council to improving our criminal justice system and ensuring that the watchwords for our service in the Criminal Justice Sector are integrity, efficiency, and accountability.
“The SOP will enhance collaboration between Police prosecutors and DPP lawyers, streamline processes, reduce delays, and lead to more effective prosecutions and speedy trials.
“The development of this SOP has been a collaborative effort, involving diligent work from all the actors. It seeks to bridge the gap between the Police and the office of the DPP by providing clear guidelines and standardized practices that will enhance communication, streamline processes, reduce delay, and ultimately lead to more effective prosecution of crimes and speedy trials of defendants.
“To create an enabling environment for seamless prosecution of criminal cases and speedy determination of criminal cases in our Courts; by doing so, our resolve to uphold the rule of law and work towards a safer environment for our society will be strengthened and justice will be served promptly and effectively. This will boost confidence in our criminal justice system.”
He expressed gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the creation of the SOP and urged other Law Enforcement Agencies and Institutions to key into the project by establishing similar Desks in their Domains.
Ilanye Brown, Chief Magistrate and Executive Secretary of the ACJMC, noted that many criminal investigations currently fail to meet the standards of justice, prompting the need for the SOP as a practical solution.
“The essence is that it has come to our notice that lots of criminal matters their investigations do not meet the need for justice in the sense that it is not evidence-based. We noticed that after so much trouble to investigate, it has no meat to sustain a conviction of crime.
“The solution we thought is to introduce a system that will bring about the early engagement of prosecutors in the investigation to guide the investigations to ensure that the facts elicited from the investigation are such that can ground convictions.
“It will engender speedy delivery of justice because before you come to the court you have your facts already, not just the facts, facts, and witnesses. Prosecution becomes a lot easier and the investigators will be happy they have done a good job.”
She emphasized the council’s commitment to monitoring the implementation of the SOP, saying, “We believe in practicality. By ensuring the SOP is followed to the letter, we anticipate innovation and an increase in convictions for criminal cases in the state.”
The initiative is expected to foster efficiency and accountability within the justice system, addressing long-standing challenges in criminal case investigations and prosecutions in Rivers State.
