Justice Abiodun Ayodele Adebara, the Chief Judge of Kwara State, has taken a momentous step by signing into law the Kwara State Family Court Rules and Practice Direction Amendment 2023.
These Family Court Rules have been designed to govern proceedings related to child rjights, their welfare, and trials under the Kwara State Child’s Right Law of 2006, among other related purposes.a
Earlier, Justice Adebara had constituted a committee, led by the Chief Registrar, Chief Magistrate Ibijoke Olawoyin to meticulously review the existing family court rules. This committee comprised the head of the family court, the deputy registrar responsible for litigation, and dedicated child rights advocates, notably led by the Fulfilling Dreams Foundation.
This vital review process was initiated through the SCALE project, made possible by the dedicated efforts of Child Rights advocates generously sponsored by USAID through PALLADIUM.
The ceremonial signing of the revised family court rules was conducted in the presence of the Chief Registrar, Deputy Chief Registrar of Administration, and prominent child rights advocates, with Hajia Nimat Labaika, the Executive Director of Fulfilling Dreams Foundation, leading the way.
During this milestone event held in his office, Justice Adebara emphasized the significance of these new rules, which are centered around enhancing and refining the existing legal framework.
He believes that this development will lead to a faster, more efficient, and child-friendly implementation of child rights law in Kwara State.
Justice Adebara expressed his gratitude to the dedicated child rights advocate cluster in Kwara State, notably under the leadership of Hajia Nimat Labaika, for their unwavering commitment to bringing these rules into effect.
The Palladium SCALE project, generously funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is dedicated to the complete implementation of child rights law across five states in the north-central region of Nigeria.
The signing of the CRL ‘Practice Direction’ represents a significant step towards fulfilling the policy demands of the Child Rights Law, as it kick-starts the legal framework for its implementation.
In response to this groundbreaking development, Hajia Nimat Labaika, the Executive Director of Fulfilling Dreams Foundation, expressed her elation, describing the signing of the rules as a dream come true.
Four out of the five implementing states of the project have now signed these rules, thanks to the generous sponsorship by USAID through Palladium, leaving no reason for Kwara State to lag behind.
Hajia Nimat Labaika called upon the state government to establish essential structures such as more family courts, a child rights implementation committee, and allocate the necessary budgetary resources to facilitate the complete and effective implementation of the Child Rights Law within the state.
