Nasarawa State has joined the list of states with family courts, even as Nigerians await the fulfillment of Federal Government’s promise to establish family courts in all states of the federation.
Ahead of the International Children’s Day celebration in 2022, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, announced that the Federal Government has established family courts in 16 states to ensure child-friendly justice for children, either as victims or as offenders of violence. It is yet to be seen.
However, 17 years after the adoption of the Child Rights Law, Nasarawa has set up a Family Court. The state government disclosed that the court was created to mitigate the high rate of abuses and violations involving women and children.
Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Aisha Bashir Aliyu, signed the Rules and Practice Direction 2023 on Wednesday, 10 March in Lafia, the state capital.
LEADERSHIP Friday reports that the Child Rights Act was passed by the federal government in 2003 and domesticated in Nasarawa in 2005. However, since its domestication, the laws have not been implemented due to lack of institutional framework to do so.
In 2012, the Lagos state judiciary set up the first operational family courts in the country. They operated at two levels; the high court and the magistrates’ court. The family courts have jurisdiction in all civil and criminal proceedings relating to children, or in the interest of the children
Then Chief Judge of Lagos state, Justice Adetula Alabi, said the establishment of family courts was expedient to enforce and consolidate all legislations relating to the protection and welfare of children in Lagos state and for other connected and incidental purposes, including child survival, child development, protection, and participation.
Last year, Anambra State Government set up a special family court to tackle issues of increasing domestic violence in the state.
This was following the reported high rate of domestic violence, one of which led to the suspension of the Transition Committee Chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area, Mr. Mbazulike Iloka, as a result of the controversial circumstances trailing the death of his wife, Chidiebere.
