FCT Chief Judge Signs Guidelines For Trial Of Sexual, Gender-Based Violence Cases

In a bid to enable as well as enhance the workability of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) VAPP Act, 2015 in the Federal Capital, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf on Monday signed practice direction and guidelines on the trial of sexual and gender-based violence cases and ancillary procedure and that on the application for a protection order under the VAPP Act.

The signing of the practice directions and guidelines formed part of activities held to mark the commencement of the 2022-2023 legal year in FCT.

The CJ also appended his signature to the practice directions on small claims 2022.

Speaking before signing the instruments, Justice Baba Yusuf said they were carefully thought out practice directions to not only enable but also enhance the workability of the VAPP Act and other related statutes in the Territory.

According to him, in the last one year, there was an upsurge in cases filed in FCT courts as a result of the fast pace it had continued to develop as well as the influx of people into the Territory as a result of insecurity in parts of the country.

“In the last one year, we have witnessed an increase in the number of civil and criminal cases filed in the high court, the magistrate courts and the Customary Court of Appeal.

“This is understandably so, considering the fast pace at which the Federal Capital Territory has continued to develop and movement of people into the Federal Capital as a result of insecurity in some parts of the country,” the CJ said.

According to him, with the exponential increase in the FCT population, the judiciary in the Territory had continued to strive with a view to responding to the need of making justice readily and easily accessible to justice seekers in the Federal Capital.

“As a judiciary saddled with the constitutional mandate to provide judicial and related services within the Federal Capital, we have continued (to) strive to respond to the need to make justice readily and easily accessible to justice-seekers in FCT,” Baba Yusuf said.

He informed that in view of this development, there had been an improvement on structural facilities in order to give existing court environments a befitting facelift.

“We have also endeavoured to create additional judicial divisions in Jikwoyi and Garki Districts and built additional courtrooms to boost the existing structures in the Gwagwalada, Kuje and Bwari Divisions,” the CJ disclosed.

He informed as part of avowed efforts aimed at promoting access to justice and speedy disposal of inexpensive, simple and small liquidated claims, the FCT court collaborated with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and constituted a steering committee to facilitate the establishment of small claims court in FCT magistracy system.

He further informed that the small claims courts would be manned by 15 designated magistrates, adding that the courts shall take off within the 2022-2023 legal year.

Justice Baba Yusuf said in order to eliminate affidavit racketeering by touts, he created the Commissioner for Oaths Department, which used to be a unit under the enforcement department, in December 2021.

The department, according to the CJ, had witnessed a huge turnaround with the introduction and launching of a system of digitalisation of affidavits, known as Affidavit Registry Management Systems (ARMS), which placed all forms of affidavits in electronic format.

“The introduction of ARMS has made the process of obtaining affidavits in the court more seamless and time efficient; eliminating the incidence of touting that marred the manual issuance of affidavits.

“More significant is that the fidelity and authenticity of affidavits issues by this Court are now guaranteed,” the CJ said.

He added that in an avowed drive to ensure speedy dispensation of justice in FCT, the judiciary had embarked on steady revamp of its statutes and rules.

Baba Yusuf informed that he had signed the new District Court Rules, while a prepared draft of the District/Magistrate Courts Act, which he described as “first of its kind in the FCT”, had been sent to the National Assembly for legislative approval.