By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Kogi State House of Assembly has halted further consideration of the State Justice Reform Team Bill, 2025, directing the Ministry of Justice to redraft the proposed legislation to address legal gaps and clarify the powers and responsibilities of the bodies to be established under it.
The decision followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Judiciary, which conducted a clause-by-clause examination of the Bill and reviewed submissions made by stakeholders at a public hearing.
Presenting the report, the committee chairman, Hon. Usman Halidu Adejo, said the Bill had received considerable support but required major restructuring to remove ambiguities and prevent conflicts among the various organs envisaged by the reform framework.
The committee specifically raised concerns over provisions dealing with the composition, functions and powers of the Steering Committee, Implementation Committee and their sub-committees.
It rejected proposals to simply delete some of the disputed provisions, arguing that such an approach could create further legal uncertainty and leave critical aspects of the proposed reform without adequate operational guidelines.
Instead, the committee recommended a comprehensive redraft by the Ministry of Justice, with the provisions reorganised and the responsibilities and authority of each organ expressly defined.
It also recommended that the House Committee on Judiciary be mandated to review the redrafted version before it is brought back to the chamber for final consideration and passage.
The committee described the proposed legislation as a significant step towards strengthening the administration of justice, deepening the rule of law and improving the protection of citizens’ rights in Kogi State.
It maintained that resolving the identified shortcomings before enactment would produce a more coherent and practical legal framework for implementing justice sector reforms across the state.
The House, after consideration by the Committee of the Whole, adopted the recommendations, effectively returning the Bill to the Executive for further work.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, commended the Judiciary Committee for its detailed examination of the legislation and its consideration of inputs from stakeholders.
He consequently directed the Clerk of the House to formally transmit the Assembly’s resolution to the Executive for necessary action.
The development means the proposed justice sector reform legislation will undergo another round of drafting and legislative scrutiny before the Assembly can proceed with its final consideration.
(Ends)