Criminal Justice System in Nigeria: An Appraisal of Fair Hearing and Related Issues

Abstract

It is palpable that the Nigeria’s Criminal Justice System is facing issues and problems. The Nigerian Government and concerned people have recognized them, albeit nothing much are done to revamp the deplorable state of the justice institutions in the country. This paper appraises Criminal Justice System in Nigeria vis-a-vis the principle of fair hearing and other related issues. Information was gathered through secondary sources such as textbooks, statutes, law books and law reports. Findings revealed that poor infrastructure, corruption, inadequate manpower personnel, inadequate
working facilities and equipment, lack of motivation and incentives constitute the major issues and
problems bedeviling the criminal justice in Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, it was
recommended among others: The review of some extant laws, Rules of Courts, improvement of capacity building and training the people who work in the various institutions for the dispensation of criminal justice. There is the need to formulate a victim-compensation policy. In Nigeria in general, the State stands as the complainant when a crime is committed, the victim’s rights and satisfaction with the justice process feature very little in the scheme of things.