IMO STATE JUSTICE SECTOR REFORM TEAM- A NON EXISTENT BODY OR A TOOTHLESS BULLDOG?

Abstract

Several years after the groundbreaking Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2020 as amended established the Imo State Justice Reform Sector Team and empowered it to coordinate the effective implementation of the Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, this important body is yet to take off prompting many to wonder whether it is a non-existent body or a toothless bulldog. Deploying the doctrinal research method, this paper examined provisions of the ISACJL, 2020 relevant to the establishment, composition and functions of the ISJSRT in order to accentuate both its centrality in the implementation and indispensability in attaining the purpose of the ISACJL. Analysis in the paper revealed lack of funding as the major constraint in the take-off of the ISJSRT. As it is a complete disservice to the justice sector to exultantly create a body by law only to turn around to use bureaucratic bottlenecks to render such a body redundant, it was recommended among other things that the ISJSRT should be immediately funded by the executive arm of Imo State Government so that the ISJSRT will become functional and expeditiously achieve the purpose for which it was created and established by law.