As part of promoting accountability and
transparency in the administration of criminal justice system in Nigeria, CLEEN
on Friday launched Oyo state resource; the centre will keep records of both
soft and hard copies of court judgments on corruption cases.
Mrs. Ruth Olofin, Program Manager, CLEEN
Foundation, representing Mr. Benson Olugbuo Ph.D., CLEEN Foundation Executive
Director, in a welcome address, said the initiative is part of the organisation
project on Promoting Accountability and Transparency in the Administration of
Criminal Justice System in Nigeria, supported by MacArthur Foundation.
She pointed out that the project seeks to
reduce corruption and promote judicial transparency in anti-corruption cases.
Part of the thing the project seeks to
achieve is to enhance accountability in the criminal justice system in Nigeria,
she added.
The initiative is to make information on
case laws- hard copies of court ruling/judgments on corruption easily
accessible (online and offline) to legal practitioners, law enforcement
agencies, Judges, Prosecutors, Defendants, government agencies responsible for
the administration of criminal justice, civil society organizations working for
justice sector reforms, legal scholars and researchers.
Apart from keeping hard copies, the project
has developed Uwazi an online portal https://cleen.uwazi.io where the same
contents in the hard copies can be kept online to be accessed by the public.
She disclosed that the Nigerian Barr
Association (NBA) has been selected by CLEEN foundation to host the resource
centre that is located at Aare Afe Babalola Bar Centre, Iyaganku Ibadan in Oyo
State.
Ruth disclosed that the state working
group, who are partners in the project will be holding their meetings on a
Bi-monthly basis, she added.
It is expected that CLEEN partners hosting
the Centre will give updates on the resource centre and its successes at the
bi-monthly meetings.
The program manager charged the public to
ensure they make use of the centre, saying that will enhance their knowledge.
She specifically thanked the Nigerian Bar
Association for being the first state among project states to host the resource
centre.