The Plateau State House of Assembly has successfully passed two bills into law, one seeking to establish a Law Reform Commission and the other creating a Mediation Centre in the state. This information was disclosed by the Deputy Speaker, Fom Gwottson, in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Precious Kaneng Yohanna.
According to the statement, both bills were passed during plenary sessions held on July 18, 2023, and July 25, 2023, respectively. The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee in charge of both bills, Rt. Hon. Gwottson Dalyop Fom, presented the committee’s reports on both occasions, which underwent careful scrutiny by relevant stakeholders in the Justice Sector, relevant government institutions, civil society organizations, and other concerned citizens.
After the Third Reading of the bills, the Speaker, Suleman Moses, put the question of acceptance and rejection to the floor, and both bills received affirmative majority votes from the lawmakers, thereby passing them into law.
The Law Reform Commission will have the responsibility of researching, reviewing, and codifying state laws and local government bye-laws in line with prevailing norms in the state, nation, and international community, with a focus on their systematic and progressive development and reform.
On the other hand, the Mediation Centre Commission will be tasked with mediating between parties in various disputes, including matters related to landlord and tenant, contracts of employment, family issues, and debt-related matters.
The Centre will additionally offer pro bono legal services and guidance, especially to the underprivileged citizens of the state.
Philemon Daffi, the Plateau State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, emphasized the significance of passing these two laws for the state’s progress.
The state statement quoted him saying, “With a debt burden of N307 billion inherited by the new administration, it becomes imperative to take proactive and innovative steps to create avenues that attract resources to the Ministry of Justice from various sources worldwide.”
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