A Consultative Forum on Enhancing Witness Attendance to Court in Enugu State under the ‘Speeding-Up Criminal Justice Project’ was held on Monday 18th February, 2013 at the prestigious Golden Royale Hotels, Enugu.

The event brought together major and critical stakeholders in the justice sector institutions in Enugu State among whom are the Nigerian Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, the Prisons, the Bar Association, the Legal Aid Council, the CSOs, Coalitions on Witness Attendance to Court and other stakeholders.

The forum chaired by the Enugu State Chief Judge Honorable Innocent Umezulike represented by Justice B.E Agbatah had the Governor of Enugu State Mr. Sullivan Iheanacho Chime represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Barrister Anthony Ani in attendance. Also present were the Nigerian Prisons Service, Nigerian Police, Enugu state Justice Reform Team, Coalition on Enhancing Witness Attendance to Court among others.

The Chief Judge of Enugu State speaking through Justice Agbata thanked PRAWA and Justice for All J4A of DFID for contributing to delivery of criminal justice in Enugu State through their numerous interventions.

Dr. Uju Agomoh the Executive Director of PRAWA said the Consultative Forum on Enhancing Witness Attendance to Court is just one aspect of the fifth component of ‘Speeding-Up Criminal Justice Project in Enugu State’ which PRAWA manages for Justice for All Project of DFID. According to Dr. Agomoh, the funding of this component of the project which began in March 2012 will end in June 2013 but has shown serious potentials of sustainability by the partnering institutions. The intervention entails proper updating and tracking of witness to court.

Speaking on the ‘Existing Legal Procedures on Witness Support & Protection’, Dr. Osita Nnamani-Ogbu, Associate Director of Centre for the Advancement of Democracy & the Rule of Law CADRL said that it is regrettable that the criminal procedure laws of Enugu State and indeed Nigeria as they relate to witness protection and support has become moribund. He said that that what the penal codes and criminal procedures stipulated for witness welfare is very meager at both the Customary and Magistrate courts. He recommended that States in Nigeria should make and implement their own witness protection laws so that they can flexibly apply them independently, adding that witness education is very key to the future success.

Kate Ibeanusi , Senior Programme Officer and Project Lead on Enhancing Witness Attendance to Court in PRAWA spoke on the ‘Challenges and Proposal on Witness Support 7 protection’ stressed that witnesses not attending courts is a very strong reason for delays in delivery of criminal justice. She pointed out that ignorance of court procedures, lack of witness and victim support services, intimidation of witnesses, stigmatization of special case witnesses and victims as some of the challenges facing witness attendance to courts. She noted that some of the gaps are found in the inadequacy of funds provided by criminal code and inability of witnesses to know what to expect when they attend courts.

The Attorney General of Enugu State, Barrister Anthony Ani on behalf of the Governor of Enugu declared the forum open by presenting the information, enlightenment and communication materials ‘Witness Attendance to Court” posters to the stakeholders and the general public as part of the campaign to enhance attendance of witnesses in criminal cases to courts.