By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
As part of a deliberate effort by the Government of Anambra State to speed up the trial of suspects and ensure quick dispensation of justice, the government has offered a plea bargain to all suspects undergoing criminal trial, excluding those on trial for murder, rape, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Anambra State, he observed that it is both necessary and timely to explore the plea bargain option both as a statutory provision of the Criminal Justice Law and in exercise of the powers of the office of the Attorney General of a State. “It has become necessary to operationalize and mainstream plea bargain in the administration of criminal justice in Anambra State in furtherance of the provisions of section 156 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State, 2022,” the Attorney General said.
Accordingly, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, the Honourable Attorney General of Anambra State directs that: defendants in a criminal trial shall be issued with a Plea Bargain Form by the Prosecuting Council or officer. Secondly, that the Prosecuting Council or Officer notifies the defendant of his or her option to plea bargain by completing the form. Also, upon completion, the form was directed to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice. Going forward, the AG noted that any charge that fails to comply with the instruction “shall be deemed to have been brought contrary to the directive and may be discontinued.” Finally, the Honourable Attorney General directs that plea bargain agreements shall be part of prosecution, shall be endorsed by the head of the legal department of the prosecuting agency or by the Attorney General when the case is prosecuted by law officers of the Ministry of Justice, Anambra State.
This move is in line with the ambitious and bold judicial reforms of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, in ensuring expeditious and timely dispensation of justice. In the People’s Manifesto, Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, promised to “actively collaborate with legislators and judiciary…for speedy administration of justice.” Similarly, the Solution Agenda assured that the Government of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo will “collaborate with the judiciary to upscale the efficiency of the judicial process.”
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