{"id":6145,"date":"2013-07-08T00:24:52","date_gmt":"2013-07-08T00:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/lagos-cj-warns-magistrate-over-sentencing-for-minor-offences\/"},"modified":"2013-07-08T00:24:52","modified_gmt":"2013-07-08T00:24:52","slug":"lagos-cj-warns-magistrate-over-sentencing-for-minor-offences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/lagos-cj-warns-magistrate-over-sentencing-for-minor-offences\/","title":{"rendered":"Lagos CJ warns magistrate over sentencing for minor offences"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Citizens Platform<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Philips, has sounded a warning to the magistrate of the Special Offences Court sitting in Alausa, Mrs. Jadeola Adeyemi, who sentenced 162 persons arrested for minor offences to prison.<\/p>\n

The alleged offenders were imprisoned without having any legal representation and adequate time to prepare for their defence.<\/p>\n

The CJ warned Adeyemi to desist from sentencing the offenders to prison, adding that such \u201cconvicts\u201d should have been committed to community service with or without imposition of fine.<\/p>\n

The warning was contained in a letter signed by the Deputy Registrar of the state\u2019s judiciary, (Special Duties, Ikeja), Mrs. O. Okunuga, in response to a petition by a non-governmental organisation, Prisoners\u2019 Rights Advocacy Initiative.<\/p>\n

It read in part: \u201cOn the allegations of remanding such convicts in prison alongside hardened criminals, the magistrate has been warned to desist from sending such convicts to jail terms and should adopt imposition of fines and\/or committal to community service.”<\/p>\n

The PRAI, through its director, Mr. Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem, in its petition dated June 7, 2013, alleged that among the 162 inmates were under 18 children, who ought not to be sent to prison for any offence.<\/p>\n

The organisation also\u00a0 urged the authorities, including the Chief Judge, to investigate the circumstances under which Adeyemi had imprisoned the alleged offenders.<\/p>\n

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Posted in Nigeria News. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: Citizens Platform<\/p>\n

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