The Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed in the House of Representatives on Friday, with 27 members voting for, 12 voting against, and no abstentions.
Attorney General John Jeremie, in piloting the Bill, said it aims to strengthen the criminal justice system and improve the efficiency of police operations.
He reminded Parliament that the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act, or AJIPA, was first introduced in 2011 to modernise the justice process.
The AG said since AJIPA’s introduction, there have been notable successes in speeding up trials. However, Mr. Jeremie said challenges remain, especially with police access to judicial officers during urgent investigations.
“Today, we seek to go back to exploring the concurrent jurisdiction for the issuance of search warrants to Magistrates, Magistracy Registrars, Clerks of the Court, and Justices of the Peace. Now, what that does is to ensure that law enforcement is not paralysed by procedural constraints when swift action is imperative.”
He explained that this approach aligns with common practice across the Commonwealth and ensures balance between efficiency and oversight.
“Clause 3C has to be amended, if we amend 3B, to ensure consistency with the amendments and to provide for all judicial officers who possess concurrent jurisdiction with masters, particularly in respect of issuing search warrants and the filing of documents in the high court, to include the amendment which we make this afternoon.”
