By Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi
The Edo State Law Reform Commission has held a one-day workshop to review the Coroner’s Law, as applicable in Edo State.
The workshop which was held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, had a rich blend of subject matter experts as participants.
The Law Reform Commission has as its statutory obligation, the power to review laws which have become obsolete, and make them into more comprehensive and applicable laws which are in line with current realities.
The gathering of key stakeholders at the recent event will aid the Commission in tapping into a rich expertise in reviewing the Coroners’ Law and coming up with an up-to-date coroner system in the State.
Since the advent of his administration, Governor Godwin Obaseki has made deliberate efforts in ensuring that laws which are no longer in line with current realities are reviewed, especially with the dawn of a digital era. Today the State is witnessing such efforts culminate in the current reform of the Coroners Law.
In an opening remark, the Secretary of the Commission, Barr. (Mrs.) Lillian Giwa-Amu, noted that there is a crucial need to urgently reform the law, especially at a time when technology is evolving considerably, inadvertently casting light on gaps in the said law.
According to Giwa-Amu, “The Law Reform Commission amongst other functions is statutorily responsible for the reviewing of all laws in Edo State, in tandem to their systematic and progressive development and reforms. In pursuance of the Commission’s responsibility, we are currently reviewing the Coroners Law in Edo State”.
“It is evident that since the extant law was enacted, much has changed. The law which is not comprehensive anymore has obviously become obsolete, appears abandoned and some of the provisions are not in tune with current realities”, Giwa-Amu stated.
She noted that the workshop on the reform of the Coroners Law is apt, particularly at a time where the nation is bedeviled with security challenges. This, according to her, undoubtedly gravitates the State towards reforming laws that engender public safety.
Speaking further, Giwa-Amu explained that “The reform would focus on the manner of appointing a coroner, the qualification of medical officers or forensic experts that would be allowed to conduct autopsy on dead bodies, synergy among medical and legal entities in the coroner system, the funding of the coroner system, leveraging technology to facilitate a seamless coroner process, improved accessibility to coroners’ reports, tested legal aid for all inquests and proper closure to the bereaved, amongst other underlying issues”.
Delivering his keynote address, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), represented by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Edo State Ministry of Justice, Kingsley Odabi Esq., said that the law remains an instrument of social engineering and good governance, and as such, it has become pertinent to find answers to key questions upon the occurrence of death.
According to Iyamu, “The increasing yearnings of the people for good governance has undoubtedly mounted much more pressure for good governance laws, as the law itself is an instrument of social engineering and a mirror of the society. It is essential to find answers to key questions upon the occurrence of death, which include but are not limited to who, when, how and where.
“We are here today to examine the currency and stability of the current law which after its years of existence, has been without alteration or change. However it is not too late to wake up to the challenge to rework this important legislation which has finally found favor under the able leadership of His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki. With the caliber of personnel attracted by the Commission today it is obvious that we are already there”.
Speaking during the event, a resource person, Dr. Wilson Akihiwu, AIG Rtd., Consultant Pathologist and former Director of Forensics at the Nigeria Police Force, and current Chairman of the Forensic Working Group of the International Community of Red Cross, revealed that there are loopholes in the Coroner Law which if properly reformed, would go a long way in reducing crimes and further engender public safety, as the core duty of the Coroner is to explain the unexplained.
Also speaking during the event, Prof. Eddy Ehikhamenor, a lecturer at the University of Benin who is also the Founder and Coordinator General of the Save Accident Victims Association of Nigeria (SAVAN), said that more should be done not just to put in place a strong post-mortem architecture, but also the ante-mortem architecture should be taken into cognizance and even digitized, as an electronic medical record database would facilitate a seamless process and also help the Coroners to give accurate data and statistical reports.
He also recommended the establishment of forensic laboratories with up-to-date facilities, training of all medical and legal entities in the coroner system; introduction of forensic as a field of study in higher institutions, which would provide more employment opportunities.
Prof. Ehikhamenor also opined that adequate research into the subject matter should be carried out, noting that the law would help reduce the incessant rise in unclaimed bodies and unnatural deaths witnessed in the State.
Mrs. C. E. Ogbona, a Chief Magistrate, who was also a participant at the event, said more awareness and advocacy should be carried out to sensitize the general public on the need for the cause of death to be investigated, and advised that synergy should be encouraged among all key stakeholders, with a regular review of the law in mind.
With the imminent reform of the Coroner Law in the State, Edo State would have joined its counterparts in Lagos and Ekiti States that re-enacted theirs in 2007 and 2013 respectively. The State Government remains committed to restoring dignity to the dead as well as their identities, and giving proper closure to bereaved families, hence the proposed reform of the Coroner Law in the State.
In attendance were the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), represented by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Edo State Ministry of Justice, Kinsley Odabi Esq., representative of the Commissioner for Health, Edo State, Dr. Stanley Ehiariamwia, who is the Director, Directorate of Regulation and Monitoring in the Edo State Ministry of Health, Her Lordship, Mrs. Caroline Enere Oghuma.
Also in attendance were Afe Osamudiamen Esq., Chief Magistrate Edo State Judiciary, Deputy Clerk and staff of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association and other members of the association, officials of the International Community of the Red Cross (ICRC) from Abuja and Port Harcourt, Dr. Wilson Akihiwu, Prof. Eddy Ehikhamenor, Prof. Ugiagbe Ezekiel and Prof. Victor Akaine.
Others include pathologists from the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), pathologists from the Benin Central Hospital, Dr. Abinu Kingsley and Dr. Edwin Iyawe, members and staff of the Edo State Law Reform Commission, amongst others.
