AG launch Legal Aid Board in Kono with a promise to empower women

AG launch Legal Aid Board in Kono with a promise to empower women

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice (AG), Hon. Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara launched the Legal Aid Board in Kono by assuring the people that the government is committed to recognizing the rights of women.

The AG traced the history of legal aid to an encounter between the Lord Jesus Christ and a group of Pharisees who had sought his advice in relation to a woman caught committing adultery and therefore doomed to death by stoning.

He said the Government established the Legal Aid Board because it believes in providing legal aid to the poor and vulnerable who cannot afford to hire a lawyer and other costs that go with accessing the justice system.

‘For the first time since independence, government is providing legal aid to its people,’ he said. ‘Also, we have a lawyer who is resident in the District to cater for the justice needs of the people.’

The AG noted the government has established a Magistrate Court to ensure people do not have to travel long distances and bore the cost associated with accessing the courts in other parts of the country.

He attributed the achievements of the Board in part to the close relationship with his office. The AG disclosed that he meets with the Executive Director of the Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles in the mornings to discuss the necessary assistance that is needed to promote the work of the Board.  ‘The progress you see is the result of the synergy between our two offices,’ he said.

The AG said Kono should move away from the violence it has been linked to in the recent past. He called on the people to respect and accommodate each other.

He also seized the opportunity to announce a major decision taken at last Thursday’s Special Cabinet meeting in which it was resolved to repeal a law passed in 1974 which denies citizenship to children born to Sierra Leonean mothers abroad.

The AG was earlier on introduced by the Consultant to the Legal Aid Board, Lawyer Francis Gabiddon who spoke warmly about the AG’s distinguished career which started as a State Counsel in Sierra Leone in 1990 to the Special Court for Sierra Leone where he rose to Deputy Prosecutor, Commissioner for the Country’s Anti- Corruption Commission and then to the current position as Attorney General and Minister of Justice. 

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles said the scheme has been flexible regarding requirement for qualification for legal aid. This is to ensure more vulnerable people especially women benefit from the scheme. This means those who earn above the minimum wage of five hundred thousand leones ($67) and therefore do not qualify for the scheme are given concession because financial commitments to family would not allow them to hire a lawyer.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said the Board has brought huge relief to the people of Kono through it resident lawyer and paralegals who are monitoring the police stations, the correctional centers and the traditional courts to ensure rights of those accessing the justice system are respected. She said lawyers do not want to reside in Kono, which is why the Board has a resident lawyer to provide legal assistance to the people.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles returned to a regular theme in her public engagements in recent times regarding overcrowding in correctional centers around the country. She said the Board has been doing its bit in Kono.

She encouraged the people not to lie to the police because it makes their work very difficult and by extension undermine the justice delivery system. ‘People lie to the police by making false claims in their statement by saying they lost huge amount of mount money, mobile phones and many more,’ she said. ‘Also, there are cases in which offenders have assumed the position of the victim.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said parents should take care of their children otherwise the Board will compel them to do so. She added that even though majority of the victims of domestic violence are women, men are now coming forward and reporting such abuses to the Board. 

She pointed out that it is an offence to have sex below the age of 18. She warned especially older men who are in the habit of having sex with children that they will be held to account. ‘The Police will not hesitate to prosecute you,’ she said. ‘I will also encourage you to respect women because we are handling many cases of abuse of women.’

She disclosed plans to train Paramount Chiefs, opinion leaders, tribal headmen as Paralegals to improve access to justice in the community. She underlined that justice starts at home and therefore call on parents to inculcate the culture of fairness in mediating disputes in the family.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said they are proud the country does not have any political prisoners for which he commended the government.

The Board’s lawyer based in Kono, Ibrahim Mansaray provided updates on the activities of the scheme since the Board was opened in the district in September 2016. The Board secured 83 discharges, 14 successful bail applications and mediated 15 cases through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service from September to December 2016.  For January to May 2017, the Board secured 29 discharges, 86 successful bail application and mediated 14 cases through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service.

The Chairperson of the launch, Minister of State East, Karmor Kabba told the large gathering of well wishers that Legal Aid is for them. He hailed the leadership of President Koroma for establishing the Board. ‘The poor are no longer disadvantaged in accessing the justice system,’ he said.  ‘In a country without legal aid scheme, the powerful and influential rule the day.’

The Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Paramount Chiefs in the Kono District, P.C. Tamba Emmanuel Foyoh expressed delight at the fact that the beneficiaries of the scheme are their subjects. ‘This has brought a huge relief to our people,’ he said.  The Paramount Chief was however critical about the provision of legal assistance to alleged rapists and other sexual offenders, to which the Executive Director mounted a robust defence noting that suspects and accused are prosecuted by State Counsel and the police on the one hand and on the other LAB is responsible to defend them. ‘We work with the police and state counsel to ensure justice is equitable and fair,’ she stressed.    

The Chairperson of the Kono District Council drew attention to the non-payment of salary to Court Chairman and Court Clerks which he stressed is negatively affecting the delivery of Justice in the Local Courts.

Other speakers include the President of the Motor Drivers Union, Mr. Alpha Amadu Bah; Local Unit Commander for Tankoro Division, D.S. Koroma, Aaron Boima of the Traders Council and a representative of civil society.