In the aftermath of the ENDSARS protests, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, committed the state government, among others, to enabling a policy and legislative framework for the protection of victims of crime, including victims of abuse by security personnel. Dr. Fayemi had directed the Ministry of Justice to do the following:
- Strengthen the Directorate of Citizens Rights and the Office of Public Defender to ensure that persons whose rights are violated have recourse to free immediate and effective remedy without prejudice to the right of the victim to seek judicial redress.
- Without prejudice to the reliefs provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, draft a policy statement on the commitment of the State Government to protect rights of victims of crime and if necessary propose a legislation that is specifically targeted affirming state sanctioned remedies for Victims of crime.
It is in furtherance of these directives that the Ministry of Justice has drafted the Ekiti State Victims Charter. This is a policy statement to protect the rights of victims of crime. The Ministry of Justice has now drafted the Ekiti State Victims Charter Bill 2020 for the consideration of Justice Sector stakeholders and the people of Ekiti State.
CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
The Ministry of Justice, Ekiti State requests comments from the public on ‘EKITI STATE VICTIMS’ CHARTER BILL, 2020.’
The objectives of the proposed Law are:
- To recognise the impact of crime on the victims of crime, including the impact on members of victims’ families, witnesses to the crime and in some cases, the broader community;
- To recognise that all persons adversely affected by crime, regardless of whether they report the offence, should be treated with respect by all investigatory agencies, prosecuting agencies and victims’ services agencies and should be offered information to enable them to access appropriate services to help with the recovery process; and
- To help reduce the likelihood of secondary victimisation by the criminal justice system.
In furtherance of the commitment of the Government of Ekiti State to public participation in governance, the Ministry of Justice requests for comments from the public on all aspects of the proposed Law.
Comments should be sent to [email protected] or hand-delivered to:
Director, Law Review,
Ministry of Justice,
Phase III, State Secretariat
Ado Ekiti
Deadline for the submission of comments is Friday 8 January 2021 at midnight.