In a landmark move set to reshape Nigeria’s justice system, the Lagos State Judiciary on Tuesday formally launched its Non-Custodial Sentencing Practice Direction—a bold reform designed to ease the crushing overcrowding in the nation’s correctional centres while strengthening public confidence in justice delivery.
The launch, which held at Providence Hotel, Ikeja, was spearheaded by Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation and the Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre.
“Non-custodial sentencing has come to stay,” Justice Alogba declared firmly, stressing that societal change demands new approaches to punishment—ones that save costs, promote rehabilitation, and reintegrate offenders rather than stigmatise them.
The newly introduced guidelines, he explained, provide judges with a structured framework for alternatives to imprisonment, such as community service, probation, and restorative justice. The framework aims to remove inconsistencies in judicial practice, reduce institutional clashes, and ensure swift enforcement of judgments.
“Timely enforcement is critical to maintaining public trust in the judiciary,” Alogba noted, framing the reform as part of a larger vision to modernise criminal justice nationwide.
MacArthur Hails Milestone Achievement
Delivering a goodwill message, Yvonne Darkwa-Poku, Senior Programme Officer at the MacArthur Foundation, hailed the initiative as an important milestone in decades-long reform advocacy.
“MacArthur began supporting criminal justice reform long before the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015. To see our grantees push for nationwide adoption, including this practice direction, gives us great hope,” she said, commending Lagos for once again setting the pace for national reform.
Representing the Executive Director of the Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi described the initiative as long overdue.
“Nigeria’s correctional centres are severely overstretched, holding far more inmates than they were built for. This framework equips judges with clear tools to ease that burden. Since Lagos reforms often set the standard for the nation, launching it here was crucial,” she said.
She applauded the collaborative spirit of stakeholders—including the judiciary, the Nigerian Police Force, the Ministry of Justice, and the Nigerian Correctional Service—while praising Justice Alogba’s visionary leadership and MacArthur’s unwavering support.
Representing the National Human Rights Commission, Mrs Yemisi Akile observed that despite more than two decades of audits and inquiries, prison congestion has remained unsolved.
“This reform provides a realistic solution, and we welcome it wholeheartedly,” she affirmed.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, represented by Charles Akinrosoye, Head of the Legal Department, echoed similar sentiments:
“Prison congestion has long posed challenges for the police and justice institutions. This is a major step forward, and Lagos has once again lived up to its reputation as a trailblazer.”
With this launch, Lagos once again positions itself at the vanguard of judicial reform in Nigeria. If effectively implemented, the Non-Custodial Sentencing Practice Direction could become a blueprint for states across the federation, offering a pathway to a fairer, more humane, and more efficient justice system.
PIONEER NEWS 