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Showing posts from May 3, 2016

Summary of Court Activities For the month ending Saturday 30th April, 2016.

Summary of Court Activities For the month ending Saturday 30 th April, 2016. There were a total of 457 cases in the different courts; 293 cases in the High Court, 91 in the Magistrate courts and 73 in the Juvenile court. Out of all the indigents, 568 were male adults, 29 female adults, 58 male juveniles and 7 female juveniles. 35 male adults, 1 female adult, 5 male juveniles and 1 female juvenile were discharged. 8 male adults were put on bail and there was 1 Maintenance Orders. There were no Committals to the High Court and there were a total of 11 sentences; 2 adult males and 9 male juveniles. The indigent discharged according to their professions were as follows; 2 bike riders, 6 traders, 3 builders, 1 hair dresser, 3 factory workers, 1 fitting mechanic apprentice, 6 drivers, 4 fishermen, 1 electrician, 2 wielding apprentices, 2 podapoda apprentices, 1 footballer, 1 carpenter, 1 plumber and 8 secondary school pupils. The number of indigents and the ...

The Legal Aid Board has been reorganized for their hard work in the country.

The Legal Aid Board has been reorganized for their hard work in the country by the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, at the May Day celebrations, especially in the area of giving free legal representation to workers. Over one hundred workers were represented and discharged in various courts between September 2015 and March 2016. There was jubilation in the Hall when the Legal Aid Board was announced for recognition.

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.