By Abdullahi Yusuf
A Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana(SAN), has praised Kano State’s progressive approach to administering criminal justice in the state.
Falana made the commendation during a capacity-building workshop for prosecutors on the effective administration of criminal justice, organized by Kurawa Hussein And Associates in collaboration with the state Ministry of Justice.
Falana also lauded the state for adopting the FIDRA Administration of Criminal Justice Act in 2019, making it the first state to abolish prosecution of criminal cases by lay police officers.
He emphasized the need for prosecutors to be equipped with modern gadgets and effective training to enhance their performance.
The human rights lawyer then stressed the importance of improving conditions of service for prosecutors to enable them to focus on their assignments.
He highlighted the challenges faced by the poor in accessing justice, citing economic conditions and the need for government intervention.
To address this, he suggested empowering the office of the public defender to assist the poor, with a presence in every local government area.
This, Falana said,would enable the poor to access justice and have lawyers assigned to their cases.
He emphasized the importance of protecting the rights of suspects and promoting confidence in the justice system.
He noted that suspects have the right to demand legal representation, and that the police must contact the Legal Aid Council to provide a lawyer.
Falana called on the mass media to engage in public enlightenment, educating people about their rights under the law.
This,he said,would help promote a better understanding of the justice system and empower citizens to seek justice when needed.