PLEA BARGAIN: WHAT OPTIONS FOR THE NIGERIAN LEGAL SYSTEM

The concept of plea bargain follows a simple logical code that an offer of leniency precedes confession. Plea bargain functions within the administration of criminal justice in a legal system. The core of the concept is to establish an agreement between the prosecutor and the accused, where the accused pleads guilty to a lesser offence or one of multiple charges in exchange for a more lenient sentence or dismissal of other charges. Plea bargain is adopted by legal systems to hasten judicial process in a bid to save resources while also ensuring the administration of justice. The concept has evolved into a safe haven for the accused in the Nigerian legal system. Plea bargain a tool introduced by the administration of criminal justice system for its efficiency is now being wield by the accused in Nigeria to their favor with a profound level of mastery. However the value of the concept of plea bargain has been proven by the results it produces in other jurisdictions where it applied. This project seeks to appreciate the concept of plea bargain and also highlight the extant provisions of the law on it in Nigeria. It will further evaluate the practice of plea bargain in the Nigerian legal system and highlight the discrepancies which makes it a caricature of that which is practiced in other jurisdictions such as the United States of America, China, Italy and France by a comparative analysis. In conclusion this work would recommend other options open to the Nigerian legal system for future efficiency in its application of the concept of plea bargain.