ABOUT THE MINISTRY:
The Rivers State Ministry of Justice is a ministry of the Government of Rivers State responsible for handling and coordinating matters relating to judicial administration.
OBJECTIVE:
The mandate of the ministry is being
the official legal department of the Rivers State Government. Its
responsibilities are performed through its various departments as more
particularly described and stated below
DEPARTMENTS:
LIBRARY SERVICE
The Library service is in charge of
the Ministry’s research and reference library. It keeps all reference and
research materials, books, and law reports relevant to the work of the
Ministry.
ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
This department is the fulcrum of the
Ministry’s general duties and services, and interconnects all the other
departments on the day-to-day running of the affairs.
FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT
This department is responsible for the
preparation of the Ministry’s annual Budgetary Estimates, and for dispensing
approved funds for the running of the Ministry.
CIVIL LITIGATION DEPARTMENT
This department defends civil actions
and appeals against government and its agencies. In special cases, it
institutes civil actions that are of public interest and defends appeals
arising therefrom.
SPECIAL LEGAL SERVICE UNIT
This department was established in
2015 and is charged with the responsibility of handling highly classified state
matters brought to the table of the Honourable Attorney-General and other
matters as assigned by him.
LEGAL DRAFTING DEPARTMENT
For drafting of government contracts,
agreements, Bills, Statutory Instruments, Notices and other legal documents
involving the government and its Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The Department has to-date facilitated
the drafting of agreement, memorandum of understanding, bills and other
instruments
ADMINISTRATION/ESTATE DEPARTMENT
Established pursuant to the provisions
of the Administrator-General Law of Rivers State (Cap. 2, Laws of Rivers State
of Nigeria, 1999), this Department headed by the Administrator-General of
Rivers State, with the primary statutory responsibility of administrating
estates of deceased persons who died intestate (without a will).
CITIZENS' RIGHTS DEPARTMENT
The Directorate for Citizens Rights
was set up in 2002 to actualize the access to Justice Policy of the Rivers
State Government. It carries out its functions by utilizing Mediation, an
alternative dispute resolution method to resolve disputes for Citizens free of
charge.
They also receive complaints on human
rights abuses, and take appropriate steps to assist petitioners.
Secondly, it institutes criminal
charges through the filing of information and other criminal processes before
the appropriate courts in the state and handles criminal appeals arising
therefrom.
The department also advises the Honorable
Attorney-General on the propriety or otherwise of all applications for fiat by
private legal practitioners.
PLANNING RESEARCH STATISTICS
This Department is responsible for
collating and updating statistics and data for a functional data base which is
current and relevant to the Ministry’s planning and research purposes.
PUBLIC PROSECUTION DEPARTMENT
It renders legal advice on criminal
cases investigated by the Police and other investigative agencies to determine
the prospects of instituting criminal charges against persons suspected of
having committed criminal offences.
Secondly, it institutes criminal
charges through the filing of information and other criminal processes before
the appropriate courts in the state and handles criminal appeals arising
therefrom.
The department also advises the
Honourable Attorney-General on the propriety or otherwise of all applications
for fiat by private legal practitioners.