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Enugu State Working Group meets, calls for proper implementation of ACJA 2015

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... Working group is coordinated by WINET in collaboration with CLEEN Foundation and sponsored by MacArthur Foundation

BY: Ikenna Oluka

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called for proper implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and the Enugu State Administration of Justice Criminal Law (AJCL) 2017.

The South East Zonal Head of the Commission, Barr. Amedu Sule made the call at the first quarter 2019 Enugu State Working Group on the implementation of the Act Meeting held in Enugu.

The working group is being coordinated by Women Information Network (WINET) in collaboration with CLEEN Foundation and sponsored by MacArthur Foundation

According to the ICPC Zonal head both the law and the Act are very crucial as they have provisions for speedy trial of criminal cases and enhancement of the judicial process in the country.

He however regretted that some of the provisions were not being implemented in a manner that could lead to the realization of the desired ends, “for instance, the act and the law prohibit arrest in lieu of a suspect, but the practice appears to be persisting due to lack of monitoring” Sule said.

Speaking on the Implementation of ACJA 2015 and Enugu State ACJL 2017-Milestones, Challenges and the Way Forward, the ICPC Zonal boss wondered whether Witness Support Units provided for to take care of expenses of witnesses were in place and funded, stressing that it was not proper for witness to the state in a criminal case to incur personal expenses.

He also faulted provisions of the Act and Law that criminal cases should be heard daily and that fine should be imposed if adjournment was at the instance of the prosecutor.

Mr. Sule argued that daily trial might not be practicable because of lack of facilities in courts for the comfort of Judges while some while some reasons for adjournment might not be the fault of the prosecutor such as in a case of murder where autopsy was required.

He commended the Enugu State government for domesticating ACJA but maintained that something must be done to make the state ACJL to work for the people.

According to him, the government should muster the political will and provide resources to deal with identified challenges while efforts should be made to address the observed lapses in the law.

Similarly, Mr. Innocent Mbachie of the EFCC South East Zonal Office Enugu said some good provisions of ACJA and Enugu State ACJL were observed more in breach than compliance.

They include the prohibition of violence, intimidation and harassment of suspects, recording of evidence on camera where the suspect did not come with a relative, loved one or counsel.

A representative of the Registrar Enugu State High Court, Mr. Osondu Chukwuani said most of the challenges were embedded in the Nigerian system and financial deficit.

He stated that Witness Support Center inaugurated in Enugu State four years ago had not been functioning because of lack of funds while light had been a huge problem in the in courts especially those outside the cities.

Mr. Chukwuani who is Deputy Chief Registrar 1 however said that Enugu State Government was doing all it could to see that the law was implemented for the benefit of the people with the Chief Judge providing fifty thousand naira to power electricity generating sets in the rural areas.

He called for more financial intervention from the government, corporate and non-governmental organizations as well as individuals to enhance the administration of criminal justice in the state.

The Chair of the meeting and representative of the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Chief Magistrate Jude Achi-Kanu commended the organizers of the meeting noting that such was essential for the administration of criminal justice law.

He stressed that the groups focus on computerization of court judgments, promotion of accountability and transparency in the judiciary was commendable as they were key issues in achieving the desired results.

Group picture of Enugu State Working Group on ACJA Implementation.

Mr. Achi-Kanu expressed the hope that as the implementation of the law in Enugu state progresses, identified lapses would be corrected and called for the involvement of the police and prisons officials and other relevant stakeholders in future discussions on the way forward.

Earlier the Executive Director of Women Information Network (WINET) and facilitator of the meeting Mrs. Miriam Menkiti explained that ACJA 2015 and Enugu State ACJL 2017 working group was committed to ensuring proper implementation of the Act and Law through the promotion of accountability and transparency in the judicial system.

The meeting attended by representative of EFCC, ICPC, NYSC, FIDA, Legal Aid Council and AFRILAW among others identified other challenges facing ACJA and ACJL to include lack of vehicles to convey suspects to courts, bribery and corruption within the prison system, the police and the judiciary.

The participants therefore advocated that Human Rights Commission, the Legal Aid Council and lawyers should be represented in police stations while Magistrates should visit prisons regularly and have powers to grant bail to criminal suspects.

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The Peruvian Government Has Officially Classified Transgender, Nonbinary And Intersex People As “Mentally ill”

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According to the country’s ministry of health, the controversial decision was made to ensure the country’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health” for the trans community.

It also categorises “dual-role transvestitism,” “fetishistic transvestism,” and “other gender identity disorders” under the same bracket of mental illness.

The new law will change language in the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) to reflect the view of trans and intersex people as a mental health disorder.

Trans groups across Peru have loudly condemned the decision as a step backwards for the country’s already complex relationship with LGBTQ+ rights.

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Math Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With 2 Students And Getting Pregnant For One Tearfully Reveals The Baby Was Taken Away From Her

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The UK teacher who had a baby with an underage student while on trial for having sex with another teenage boy broke down in court after revealing her newborn baby girl had been “taken away” from her.

Manchester math teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, sobbed to jurors over how her baby was taken “24 hours after being born” this past January — and now she only sees her for nine hours a week, Joynes told jurors on Monday, May 13, according to the Manchester Evening News.

“At the moment I have contact with her three times a week for three hours and that’s it,” she said through tears.

Joynes was arrested and released on bail on orders not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 after allegedly grooming her pupil, known as Boy A in court, by buying him a $430 Gucci belt before bringing him to her apartment for unprotected sex.

She was suspended from school and eventually fired, but soon after, she began having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy, known in court as Boy B, whom she had a baby with in January.

Joynes, who has denied having sex with either boy when they were underage, told the court that when she learned of the allegations against her she had gone to the second boy in a “panic” and he deleted all of her phone’s content.

The former teacher denied having a sexual relationship with the second boy until after he turned 16 and she was already suspended from teaching.

According to her narration,

She said he had added her on Snapchat twice, which she only accepted the second time because she thought he “wanted to tell her something.”

Joynes said a friendship developed and he quickly became her “best friend” even though the boy would make flirtatious and sexualized comments toward her when he was drunk.

She told jurors that it wasn’t until after his 16th birthday that he messaged her saying “I’ve left school now” with a winky face.

After she received notice that she had been dismissed from her job, he went to her apartment, where following an emotional conversation, they had sex.

The two then entered a relationship that Joynes described as “quite toxic” telling the court how the teenager was “very controlling.”

After discovering she was pregnant, Joynes hid love notes for the boy to find around her apartment.

The notes eventually led to a piece of baby clothing that had the words “I love my daddy to the moon and back” written on it.

The court was told that she gave birth to their baby girl in January, but following an emergency court hearing, the newborn was taken away from Joynes.

Joynes has denied two counts of sexual activity with Boy A; two counts of sexual activity with Boy B; and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust.

Her trial is ongoing.

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First Man To Receive Pig Kidney Transplant Has Died

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The first Man to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died two months after the operation.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which carried out the procedure in March, announced Sunday, May 12, that Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, has died.

They said there was no indication his death was a result of the transplant.

Transplants of other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed in the past, but the operation on Mr Slayman, who was suffering with end-stage kidney disease, was hailed as a historic milestone.

In addition to kidney disease, Mr Slayman also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

In 2018, he had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.

Following his pig kidney transplant on March 16, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well.

“Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” MGH said in a statement.

Xenotransplantation is the transplanting of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.

MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered condolences to his family.

Mr Slayman’s relatives said his story was an inspiration.

“Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” they said.

“Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever.

“To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of humour who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers,” they added.

While Mr Slayman received the first pig kidney to be transplanted into a human, it is not the first pig organ to be used in a transplant procedure.

Two other patients have received pig heart transplants, but those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later.

In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.

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