Section 341 Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) Lagos

Section 341 Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, as amended in 2021, is about Conditional release of offenders. It provides as follows:

(1) Where any person is charged before a Court for an offence triable summarily and the Court finds that the charge is proved but is of the opinion that having regard to the character, antecedents, age, health, or mental condition of the person charged, or to the trivial nature of the offence or to the extenuating circumstances under which the offence was committed, it is inexpedient to impose any punishment other than a nominal punishment, or that it is expedient to release the offender on
probation, the Court shall without proceeding to conviction make an order either—

(a) dismissing the charge; or

(b) discharging the offender conditionally on his entering into a recognisance, with or without sureties, to be of good behaviour for a period not less than one (1) year and not exceeding three (3) years.

(2) The Court shall, in addition to any such order, order the offender to pay such damages for injury or compensation for loss, not exceeding Twenty Thousand Naira (N=20,000.00) or if a higher limit is fixed by any enactment relating to the offence that higher limit, and to pay such costs of the proceedings as the Court thinks reasonable and if the offender has not attained the age of eighteen (18) years and it
appears to the Court that the parent or guardian of the offender has conduced to the commission of the offence, the Court may under and in accordance with section 340 of this Law after hearing such parent or guardian, order payment of such damages and costs by such parent or guardian.

(3) Where an order under this section is made, the order shall, for the purpose of reverting or restoring stolen property and enabling the Court to make orders as to the restitution or delivery of property to the owner and as to the payment of money in connection with such restitution or delivery, have the like effect as a conviction.

[/membership]