Lagos state have additionally trained over 100 facilitators, magistrates, traditional rulers, and police officers in restorative justice procedures for the scheme's successful implementation.
The Lagos State Restorative Justice Centre will act as an alternate conflict resolution mechanism and a tool for decongesting the court system of less serious cases.
Mrs. Grace Alo, the Director of Public Affairs for the Ministry of Justice, stated this in a statement.Justice Kazeem Alogba, the Chief Judge and Chairman of the CJSRC, stated that the restorative justice system has beenin operation for over three decades and is used in other nations, thus its adoption by the state.
He praised the restorative justice centre for serving as a clearinghouse for restorative justice referrals from the courts and the Director of Public Prosecutions' office (DPP).
The Chief Judge also announced the release of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document, which aims to facilitate seamless communication between police and DPP investigators.
He also established the Nigerian Police Force and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) focal group to expedite and champion investigations and prosecutions.
The restorative justice system, according to Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), has been a dominant method of dealing with conflict for most of human history, as it coexisted with a diverse range of other practices, including retribution, resulting in its adoption by the state.
It is the government's obligation to guarantee that issues are resolved in a reasonable and timely manner. "Alternative dispute resolution is a type of restorative justice center, and we're determined to use it to decongest manyof the less serious cases on the docket of the court system, and invariably the overcrowded penitentiary centers," he continued.
According to Onigbanjo, the center's mission is to create awareness and support for the restorative justice program, as well as to invite participation and collaboration with essential stakeholders in the model's implementation.