Section 283 Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) Lagos

Section 283 Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, as amended in 2021, is about Chief Magistrate to Visit Police Stations Every Month. It provides as follows:

(1) The Chief Magistrate, or where there is no Chief Magistrate within the police division, any Magistrate designated by the Chief Judge for that purpose, shall at least once every month, conduct an inspection of police stations or other places of detention within the jurisdiction other than the correction facility.

(2) During the visit, the Magistrate may-
(a) call for and inspect the record of arrests;

(b) direct the arraignment of a suspect(s); or
(c) where bail has been refused, grant bail to any suspect where appropriate if the offence for which the suspect is held is within the jurisdiction of the Magistrate.

(3) An officer in charge of a police station or official in charge of an agency authorised to make an arrest shall make available to the visiting Chief Magistrate or designated Magistrate under subsection (1) of this section —

(a) the full record of arrest and record of bail;
(b) decisions on bail applications made within the period; and
(c) any other facility the Magistrate requires in exercising the powers under subsection (1) of this section.

(4) Where there is default by an officer in charge of a police station or official incharge of an Agency authorised to make arrest to comply with the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, the default shall be treated as a misconduct and shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant Police Regulation under the Police Act, or pursuant to any other disciplinary procedure prescribed by any provision regulating the conduct of the police officer or official of the agency.

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