The Plateau State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill seeking to establish a Law Reform Commission in the state .
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Fom Gwottson, disclosed this on Sunday, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Precious Kaneng Yohanna.
The statement said the lawmakers equally passed the state’s Mediation Centre Bill into law.
“The bills for a law to establish the Plateau State Law Reform Commission and Plateau State Mediation Center, have both been passed into law by the Plateau State House of Assembly during plenary on Tuesday 18th July, 2023, and Tuesday 25th July 2023 respectively”, the statement reads.
“Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee in charge of both bills, Rt. Hon. Gwottson Dalyop Fom submitted the committee’s reports on both occasions to the floor of the House having subjected them to the prudent scrutiny of relevant stakeholders in the Justice Sector, relevant government institutions, civil society organisations, and other well-meaning citizens.
“After the third reading of the bills by the clerk of the House, the Speaker, Suleman Moses, threw the question of acceptance and rejection of the bills to the floor.
“Thereafter the bills were passed into law having, secured affirmative majority votes of the lawmakers”.
The Law Reform Commission will be saddled with the responsibility of general research, take and keep under review all state laws and Local Government bye-laws with a view to their systematic and progressive development and reform in consonance with the prevailing norms in the state, nation and international community including, in particular, the codification of such laws and bye-laws”
According to the statement, the Mediation Centre Commission, on the other hand, will be saddled with the responsibility to mediate between parties on disputes such as landlord and tenant matters, contracts of employment, family matters, debt related matters, among others.
“The Centre shall also provide free legal services and advice, particularly to the indigent citizens of the state.
“The Plateau state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Philemon Daffi described the passage of the two laws as critical to the state’s advancement”.
The state statement quoted him as saying, “With an inherited debt of N307 billion, the onus is on the new administration to get busy and creative by establishing platforms that attract resources to the ministry of justice from around the globe”
