ARRAIGNMENT: (meaning and more)

[Olajire Deborah]

ARRAIGNMENT
Arraignment happens on the very first day in court when the defendant or accused is actually put inside the dock and asked to answer to the charges against him.
This means that the case, the file and the suspect have left the police station and is now being formally presented before the court

a.Types Of Court Where A Suspect Can Be Arraigned

The general court where an offender is charged is the Magistrate Court. This is what we refer to as the court of first jurisdiction as far as many criminal cases are concerned. Therefore, the Magistrate Courts handle the bulk of criminal cases in the country.But, some criminal cases are also handled by the High Courts, especially felonies and capital offences like murder, armed robbery, etc.These are cases beyond the powers of the Magistrate Courts to try. In most instances, however, the Police will still charge a person accused of a capital offence to the Magistrate Court before the file is sent to the High Court.

b. Officials Of Court
The officials of a Magistrate Court are as follows:
i. The Magistrate: This is the presiding officer and the judge of all cases brought before him/her. He/she directs the conduct of the case and is the one to deliver judgment.
ii. The Court Registrars: These are judiciary staff employed for administrative purposes in the courts. Their main duty is to prepare the case files, and get the cases ready for a particular day.
iii. The Prosecutors: They are Police officers trained to handle the prosecution of the defendant for the purpose of showing to the court that he is indeed guilty of the offence as charged..
iv. The Court Orderly: This is also a Police officer attached to the court for the purpose of maintaining security and orderly conduct in the court.

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