President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a new Administration of Criminal Justice Bill to the House of Representatives, proposing sweeping reforms including the abolition of trial-within-trial proceedings and the creation of a Sex Offenders Register.
Tinubu Sends New Criminal Justice Bill to Reps
Nigeria’s criminal justice system could soon look very different. President Tinubu has sent the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, 2026, to the House of Representatives, seeking to repeal the 2015 Act, according to Punch.
The bill scraps the controversial trial-within-trial procedure, instead allowing confessional statements to be provisionally admitted, with objections settled at judgment. It also proposes a national Sex Offenders Register, a Witness Support Fund, and expanded powers for the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council.
Tinubu said the reforms target persistent delays, weak coordination among justice institutions, and poor technology deployment that have hampered the 2015 Act. Other changes include a Plea Form for arraignments, a 21-day deadline for no-case submissions, and streamlined evidence presentation in magistrates’ courts.
The bill also restructures the Monitoring Council’s board to include judiciary, law enforcement, NBA and civil society representatives. Tinubu urged swift consideration by lawmakers.
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