CSS 205: Human Rights and Criminal Justice Systems

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1. evaluate the concepts of human rights and criminal justice administration;
2. identify the provisions of international and national instruments on human rights in criminal justice administration process;
3. discuss the tension between human rights and operations of criminal justice agencies and systems;
4. explain the functions and limitations of human rights oversight bodies in protecting the rights of victims of crime, criminal suspects and convicted offenders; and
5. identify the human rights provisions in Nigerian Constitutions and government human rights organisations in Nigeria.

Course Contents

Nature, elements and types of human rights. Human rights and criminal justice administration. Organisation and functions of criminal justice systems. International human rights instruments and criminal justice administration. Constitutional and statutory provisions on human rights in Nigeria. Child Rights Act. Public order laws and human rights (assembly and protest). Civil society organisation and human rights protection. Non-state security providers (vigilantes, community crime watch groups) and human rights. Oversight and

accountability of law enforcement and security agencies and non-state security providers. Rights of suspects, offenders and victims in the Nigerian criminal justice system. Government human rights organisations in the country (NHRC, LAC; PCC, Legislature, law enforcement an security agencies, judiciary). Legal aid and assistance, public defender. Office of ombudsperson. Challenges to the protection of human rights in and by Nigerian criminal justice system.