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Showing posts from September 26, 2016

Legal Aid hosts cattle herders and farmers today

Legal Aid hosts cattle herders and farmers today The Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board will this morning bring together cattle herders on one hand and landowners and farmers on the other in the Port Loko District to a meeting in Masiaka in an attempt to mediate a long standing conflict between the two groups. This is the first time the Board is mediating a dispute involving such a matter under its Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism (ADR). It is also the first time it is mediating between very large groups with those affected running into the thousands. The Board’s intervention is in response to reports from the Legal Aid Board lawyer, Mohamed Korie regarding the large number of cases of stealing and killing of cattle in the courts in the Port Loko District. These incidents are common in the Buya Romende, Marampa, Koya and Masimra chiefdoms in the district. ‘The Magistrate Court in Masiaka Town has over 25 cases involving stealing and killing of cattle,’ Korie said.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

As a Lawyer who has practiced in Sierra Leone before joining the international tribunal, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, I have seen firsthand how accused persons had to endure countless adjournments and months on remand due to lack of legal advice and representation.

My experience working with the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board since its establishment in May 2015 has broadened my understanding of the depth of the challenges plaguing the formal and traditional justice systems.

I have visited overcrowded prisons and police cells around the country. I have seen many accused persons literally abandoned in prison either because they cannot secure a bail or have not been with an indictment. Some have spent more time in remand than the maximum sentence for the crimes they are alleged to have committed. I have seen victims of domestic violence, rape and discrimination on the basis of gender resort to divine intervention because they cannot afford the cost of accessing justice.

I have seen powerful self-styled local lawyers run the show in the local/traditional courts and in the process abuse the rights of people and the Local Court Act 2011.

We have engaged and canvassed the views of agencies in the justice sector, Parliamentarians and non-governmental organizations. The interest in and expectations of the organization are heartwarming but also breathtaking.

This is what drives our commitment to deliver on our mandate to make justice accessible to those who have been left out because they are poor. For a start, we will deploy Paralegals in Police Stations in the capital and the 149 chiefdoms in the country to monitor Local Courts to ensure their activities are consistent with national laws and international human rights standards. Also, we will hire 100 Lawyers to provide free legal services to our clients.

This is without doubt a tall order considering the organization is new and the resources at its disposal are far from being adequate. We are convinced with support from the government, donors and well-wishers we can make a world of difference in the lives of ordinary people and in the process contribute to restoring much needed confidence in the justice system.