The Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and Pretrial Detention Rights in Federal Courts: A Compliance Review

This research conducts a professional compliance review of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 as applied in federal courts, specifically examining provisions governing the rights of persons in pretrial detention to a fair and speedy hearing. The ACJA represented a landmark criminal procedure reform, introducing time-bound remand processes, elimination of holding charges, and provisions for accelerated hearing of bail applications. However, reported non-compliance by both the judiciary and prosecution agencies has raised concerns about the law's practical impact on the rights of accused persons. A professional practice methodology is employed, combining court file analysis of 100 randomly selected criminal matters in federal courts in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano initiated between 2022 and 2024 with interviews of defense lawyers, prosecution counsel, and chief registrars. Non-governmental monitoring data from the Legal Defence Assistance Project are also analyzed. Findings reveal that holding charges remain common in practice despite their prohibition, that bail applications routinely exceed the 24-hour constitutional limit before disposition, and that prosecutors frequently adjourn cases without adequate justification, prolonging pretrial detention beyond permissible periods. The study develops a judicial compliance scorecard for ACJA pretrial provisions. Recommendations include specialized ACJA training for judges and prosecutors, electronic case management tools, and independent monitoring of federal court remand practices by the National Human Rights Commission. Keywords: ACJA, pretrial detention, criminal justice, fair hearing, compliance review.