CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE – SUMMARY TRIAL – Meaning and nature of summary trial

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“…It is not at all controversial, that what happened at the trial Court leading to the instant appeal could aptly be described as a summary trial. It is trite that the word ‘summary’, as an adjective, denotes short, concise, summary account of an event; immediate; done without delay. Thus, the term ‘summary trial’ denotes a non-jury proceeding that settles a controversy, or disposes of a case, in a relatively prompt and manner. See BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY 7TH Edition @ 1222. It was aptly reiterated by this Court that: “Section 277 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides for summary trials. Summary trials are short and fast. Cases tried summarily, are disposed in a prompt and simple manner. Attached to a charge to be tried summarily are scanty summary of the evidence the prosecution would rely on. Put in another way, it is not all the evidence relied by the prosecution that is made available to the accused person before trial. See UWAZURUIKE VS. AG FED. (2013) LPELR – 20392 (SC) Per Rhodes-Vivour, JSC @ 17 paragraphs C -F; A -F; FRN VS. IBORI (2014) LPELR 23214 (CA) Per Saulawa, JCA (as he then was) @ 49 – 50 paragraphs D – C.” per SAULAWA, J.S.C. in BALOGUN v. FRN (2021-LCER-40452-SC) (Pp 38 – 39 Paras A – A)

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