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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....

I am humbled to host you this morning as we mark a milestone in the operations of the Legal Aid Board.  It has been a long and arduous journey.  Some of you here present including the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Joseph Kamara have invested in this journey. I believe you will be very proud at what we have achieved together. When we started operations in May 2015, we were in no illusion about the expectations the scheme will invoke among the poor and vulnerable who are usually disadvantaged in access justice because they do not understand how the formal court system works and more importantly because they cannot afford a lawyer. What we were least prepared for, was the level of expectation among those who are well off and therefore can afford to hire a lawyer. I remember distinctly our first engagements with Members of Parliament in June 2015. The meeting was meant to explain our mandate and operations and lobby for support to the scheme especially ...

Legal Aid Director threatens action against police As the Legal Aid Board prepares to launch the ‘Scaling Up Access to Justice Leaving No One Behind’ campaign on Thursday, September 8, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has issued a stern warning to bad eggs in the Sierra Leone Police that keeping suspects in cells more than the time prescribed by law will not been tolerated.  According to Ms. Carlton-Hanciles all such matters will henceforth be taken up with the Inspector General of Police and the Complaints Discipline and Internal Investigations Department (CDIID) of the Sierra Leone Police. ‘We will start the campaign in police stations across the country because we know that bad eggs in the police allow themselves to be used to detain suspects especially the youths unnecessarily,’ Carlton-Hanciles said.  ‘I have had reason to call police officers to demand an explanation regarding the detention of suspects and I have b...

Legal Aid meet with Trusted Partners to increase access to justice The Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board had its first meeting with proposed Trusted Partners in civil society in the conference hall of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress on Tuesday, August 30.  The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles told representatives of thirty civil organizations including Ordehlay Union, Ojeh Council, Central One Football Association (COFA), Traditional Healers and Ataya Base Union that they will be empowered to increase access to justice to members of their respective organizations as part of the campaign ‘Scaling Up Access to Justice Leaving No One Behind’. ‘This will reduce the pressure on the police and the courts,’ she said. ‘We will invite all the proposed Trusted Partners including those of you here to a meeting in the coming weeks to sensitize you on what ‘Trusted Partners in Law and Order’ means and what we expect of you.’ Ms. Carlton-Hancile...

Legal Aid to launch Access to Justice campaign The Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice will launch the ‘Scaling Up Access to Justice Leaving No One Behind’ campaign at an elaborate ceremony on Thursday, September 8 in the forecourt of the Guma Building on Lamina Sankoh Street in Freetown. The campaign which is expected to attract over 120 civil society organizations will be launched by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Joseph Kamara.  According to the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles, the Attorney General has been honoured with launching the campaign for ensuring remand inmates who had been literally forgotten at the Pademba Road Correctional Center are served indictments.   Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said the campaign will impact everybody regardless of location and status. ‘We have been expanding our presence upcountry since August and the...

African Youth Network award AG and Legal Aid In marking this year’s World Humanitarian Day, the African Youth and Children’s Network  (AYCN) has recognized the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Joseph Kamara, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles and Defence Counsel of the Legal Aid Board Cecilia Tucker for promoting access to justice. The National Coordinator for the Network, Alusine Bangura gave a short background to August 19 which is the date designated by the United Nations to honour aid workers who have lost their  lives in bringing relief to those caught up in crises around the world. Alusine said he is aware of the good work of the Board in providing legal assistance to the poor and less privileged especially young people. ‘I hope you continue to do more,’ he said. ‘We do not have money to give your organization but we can provide support in other areas.’ He praised the Attorney-General and Minister of ...