“The Relevance of Customary Criminal Justice System in the Criminal Justice Administration of Nigeria.”

Source: (1993) LL.M.. Dissertation, Queen’s University at Kingston(Canada).

This thesis discusses the relevance of some of the ideals of customary criminal law in the criminal justice administration of Nigeria. It highlights the shortcomings of the inherited criminal justice system and argues for search of solutions in customary law. The complex procedure and alien standards of the inherited system alienate the population and undermine their confidence in the system and its institutions. The inherited system ignores the continuity of the restorative and reparative sentiments in the people’s expectation from the legal system.
The thesis argues for the incorporation of some of the substantive and procedural ideals of customary criminal law into the general framework of the criminal justice system and for community participation through community court, community policing and community correctional programmes.