President Bola Tinubu has taken a major step toward reshaping Nigeria’s criminal justice system by forwarding a new bill to the National Assembly that seeks to replace the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
If passed, the proposed law is expected to introduce far-reaching reforms, including the removal of the long-debated trial-within-trial procedure that has often delayed criminal cases.
The proposed Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026 is designed to improve how criminal cases are handled in the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts. Moreover, the bill aims to speed up justice, strengthen coordination among justice institutions, and improve the protection of suspects, victims, and the public.
The development comes at a time when many Nigerians continue to express concerns over lengthy court cases, overcrowded correctional centres, and delays in criminal investigations. Consequently, the proposed reforms are being seen as another attempt to modernise the country’s justice system and restore confidence in the rule of law.
During Thursday’s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read President Tinubu’s letter before lawmakers, officially introducing the bill for legislative consideration.
According to the letter, the president explained that the legislation seeks to replace the current law with an updated legal framework that reflects today’s realities.
“The general objective of the bill is to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, and to enact the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026 to provide for the administration of criminal justice in the courts of the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts in Nigeria and establish the Establishment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council for effective and efficient administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.”
Furthermore, the proposed law would establish an Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Council to oversee compliance and improve accountability across the justice sector.
Tinubu also stated that the new legislation is expected to strengthen the management of criminal justice institutions while ensuring faster delivery of justice.
He explained:
“The specific objective of the bill, as indicated in Section 1, is to ensure that the system of administration of criminal justice in Nigeria promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime, and protection of the rights and interests of the suspects, the defendants, and the victims, and also the courts, the law enforcement agencies, and other authorities or persons involved in criminal justice administration comply with the provisions of the Act.”
In addition, the president noted that the proposed legislation addresses several weaknesses discovered after years of implementing the 2015 Act.
According to him:
“The reasons for the repeal of the Extant Act and the re-enactment of the Proposed Act of 2026 is to address certain legal, procedural, and institutional challenges that have been identified as hampering the effective administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.”
He further identified persistent delays in investigations and prosecutions, poor use of technology, weak coordination among agencies, ineffective case management, and limited monitoring as major concerns affecting justice delivery.
Moreover, Tinubu disclosed that experienced legal experts reviewed the bill before it was transmitted to the National Assembly.
“The bill, as reviewed by a team of law officers with extensive experience in criminal law, criminal procedure, and legislative drafting, have extensively addressed the above challenges.”
Meanwhile, Senate President Akpabio referred the proposal to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. The committee has been directed to submit its report within four weeks.
The current ACJA was signed into law in 2015 to unify criminal procedures across federal courts. Before then, different criminal procedure laws operated in northern and southern Nigeria.
The law also introduced several reforms, including limits on unnecessary adjournments, mandatory recording of confessional statements, and regular inspections of detention facilities.
However, despite those improvements, challenges have remained. Criminal cases are still delayed, correctional centres remain overcrowded, and many suspects spend long periods awaiting trial.
The proposed Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2026 is expected to build on earlier reforms while introducing stronger legal and institutional measures to improve efficiency.
