LAB call for reintegration to avoid election violence

LAB call for reintegration to avoid election violence

 ‘In the absence of a thorough reintegration, our former clients in and those returning into mainstream society will become ready prey for selfish politicians in this election year,’ the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has warned.

The warning came in the wake of an interview with the President of the Sierra Leone Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union, Alpha Amadu Bah granted to the Concord Times Newspaper in which he is quoted as saying that ‘over 700 drivers released from prisons through the intervention of the Legal Aid Board were still hanging around the union’s offices searching for jobs.’

‘Our mandate is to provide legal services, legal education and accredit legal aid providers,’ Ms. Carlton-Hanciles noted. ‘The reintegration of former clients of the Board who had served time in prison is not part of our mandate. This notwithstanding, we introduced a reintegration progamme in September 2016 and have been able to find jobs in agriculture for thirty (30) former clients through the Sierra Leone Farmers Federation.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles lamented that when former clients have law and order issues, people blame the Board and not the agencies that are responsible for their reintegration into mainstream society.

She disclosed that her organization has identified the Sierra Leone Union of Photographers (SLUP) and the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) to train prison inmates in different skills including photography but donors have not stepped up despite the efforts of the Board.  ‘The Sierra Leone Union of Photographers sent in a proposal with a budget of $25,000 to train prison inmates in photography, six months down the line we are struggling to find a donor.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles has called on government, the donor community and civil society including the National Election Watch (NEW) to invest into reintegrating former prison inmates. ‘NEW has got money to monitor the elections, we hope part of the money is spent on acceptance of former prison inmates because this is a serious challenge,’ she said. ‘Rejecting them will play into the hands of those who want to use them as thugs.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles has disclosed that the Board’s legal education will focus on helping former clients stay out of trouble through civic education. This would include rights and responsibilities of citizens, complaint mechanisms in the community and Rule of Law. ‘We will ensure former prison inmates know where to lodge a complaint if they feel aggrieved,’ she said. ‘We will also ensure that the justice system in the community provide justice in a fair and speedy manner.’

LAB appeal to WAEC to release results of 253 pupils

LAB appeal to WAEC to release results of 253 pupils

The Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board has appealed to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Sierra Leone to release the results of two hundred and fifty-three (253) senior secondary pupils of the Trinity International Secondary School in Allen Town in Freetown on compassionate grounds.

In a letter dated 22 February 2017, the Board assured WAEC of efforts at ensuring the school authorities pay the balance owed the Council.

The Board’s intervention follows a complaint from the pupils of the school on Tuesday, February 21 after it emerged WAEC had withdrawn their West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results a week after it was published on the internet.

The spokesperson for the pupils, Agnes Feika said they decided to lodge a complaint with the Legal Aid Board because the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Freetown had kept them in the dark regarding the investigations. ‘We went to the CID on Saturday, February 18 and found that the Principal had been released from detention,’ she said. ‘There was no body to explain to us what was happening. We therefore decided to take the matter to the Board on Tuesday.’

Agnes said they reported the matter to the CID after WAEC confirmed their worst fears. ‘The Authorities at WAEC told us our results have been withdrawn; that they will not be released until the school authorities pay the money they owe the Council,’ he said. ‘The Principal and Proprietor of the school had earlier proffered the same explanation when we confronted them on the issue.’

The Board got the CID to re-arrest the Principal of the school, Mr. Abdulai Mansaray while efforts are made to raise the balance of twenty-seven million leones (27,000,000) owed WAEC. ‘The school authorities have already paid over One hundred and five million leones (105,000,000) into the WAEC Account,’ the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Officer, Reverend Bob Kandeh said. ‘We will surely have the school authorities to pay the balance of twenty-seven million leones (27,000,000) to WAEC. We did that for the Hill Top Community Secondary School at Hill Station in Freetown nearly two weeks ago, we will do same for this school.’

The Principal of the school, Abdulai Mansaray said they have paid over eighty percent of the money owed WAEC. He added that they had provided collateral for the balance in the form of conveyance for the school, proprietor’s house and seven acres of land. ‘This was why WAEC released the results,’ he said. ‘We do not understand why they had to withdraw the results while still holding on to the collaterals.’

The Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has called on the Ministry of Education and stakeholders in the education sector to learn lessons from the two schools in order to prevent a recurrence. He urged them to be vigilante by ensuring schools are properly registered and supervised. 

‘The seeming exploitation of children by those who should mold them into future leaders is a serious concern to all well-meaning people not least the Board,’ he said. ‘This is becoming a pattern. We will play our part by ensuring our Citizens Advisory Bureaus and Paralegals keep an eye on mushroom schools in their respective Wards around the country with a view to identifying early warning signs.’

It would be recalled this is the second appeal in two weeks after the Board secured the release of WASSCE results for 208 pupils of the Hill Top Community School at Hill Station in Freetown. 

Insight into what LAB is doing for children

Insight into what LAB is doing for children

Since the Legal Aid Board started operations in May 2015, it has amply demonstrated commitment to protecting the rights of children through the provision of legal services, legal education and the introduction of the ‘Child Protection Under the Law’ Programme which focuses on issues of teenage pregnancy, child marriage and harmful cultural practices.

The Legal Aid Act 2012 provides that the Board shall provide legal aid and determine the type of persons and cases for which legal aid may be granted. The draft Legal Aid Guide puts the latter into context. It provides that to qualify for legal aid, the applicant’s monthly income should not exceed five hundred thousand leones (Le500,000) which as you may know is the country’s Minimum Wage.

Nationality is not a criteria for qualification for legal aid. Any resident of Sierra Leone who meets the requirement is provided free legal assistance. Citizens of other Mano River Union Countries, Nigeria and Burkina Faso have benefited from the scheme in the past. The Board in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Drivers Union has gone the extra mile to provide free transportation to the former to their respective countries.

Applicants for legal aid are subject to the ‘Means Test’ to determine qualification for legal assistance. The ‘Means Test’ determines whether the applicant is employed and also looks at income and assets.

The exemption to this requirement are children, the aged and retiree. This means children or better still juveniles accessing the justice system are provided free legal assistance regardless of their income, assets and status of parents.

Children enjoy the added advantage of receiving far more assistance from the scheme than any other group. The Board has a lawyer assigned exclusively to juveniles.  As a matter of fact, the Board is the only institution with a full-time Juvenile Lawyer, in the person of Joel Tejan Deen-Tarawally.

The Board prides the caliber of its staff and Lawyer Deen-Tarawally is no exception. He has an advance Law degree in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa. In addition, he has also done advanced human rights courses on Disability Rights in an African Context and Judicial Enforcement of Socio-Economic Rights and Sexual Minority Rights in Africa.

Lawyer Deen-Tarawally believes there have been some modest gains in the Juvenile Justice System in the form of legislations – Child Rights Act 2007, Sexual Offences Act - and the establishment of the Legal Aid Board.

At the same time, he believes the juvenile justice system still fraught with challenges ranging from the failure to set up committees to promote the child justice environment as provided for in the Child Rights Act 2007 to the lack of transportation for juvenile offenders, absence of witness tracing mechanism, improperly constituted juvenile courts in some cases and lack of psychosocial support for children going through the justice system.

The scheme also has Paralegals assigned to juveniles. The paralegals monitor matters involving children in police stations, juvenile homes, formal courts and the informal justice system to ensure the treatment of child suspects is consistent with the law and human rights in terms of legal assistance, bail, detention and support services.

The Board has a consultant, Lawyer Francis Gabbidon who is a legal practitioner of no mean feat having practiced in Sierra Leone for over forty years. He was the first ombudsman. He teaches at the Law Department at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He had taught at the Sierra Leone Law School.

Lawyer Gabbidon sits on Alternative Dispute Resolution matters. His duties include proffering advice on issues of law so that parties have a clear idea of the likely consequences should the matter be referred to the courts. This has benefited children immensely by way of maintenance issues resolved by the ADR.

Against this backdrop, the successes of the Board in the provision of legal services have not come as surprise. The scheme provided legal assistance to two hundred and twenty (220) juveniles around the country by 31 December 2016, which is twenty months into its operations. This includes discharges, acquittals and discharges, committals to High Court, sentences, fines, bail and maintenance orders secured.

Recently, in January 2017 to be precise, the Board intervened in a high profile matter between the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Blyden and two children of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN).

The Minister had taken the kids to the New England Police Station rather than hand them over to social workers at the Ministry. The Board’s Juvenile Lawyer, Joel Deen-Tawarally successfully secured bail for the only remaining child suspects after the Board’s Paralegal had secured the release of the other suspect the previous day. Contrary to rumors making the round at the time, the suspect is not related to the Lawyer Deen-Tarawally.  

Also, four hundred and seventy-four (474) children benefited from maintenance orders secured by the scheme’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services. This has ensured the children continue their education.

During the periods leading to the reopening of schools, the ADR worked overtime to cope with complaints relating to maintenance orders. In August and September 2017, the Board received up to fifty complaints per day from mothers worried that the fathers of their children might renege on their responsibility to provide money for schooling.  

The Board has also mediated hundreds of custody matters. There have been cases of fathers refusing to release children to their mothers in time for schooling at the beginning of term. Also, the Board had intervened to ensure fathers have access to their children at regular intervals.

The ADR has reunited feuding families around the country. The one which stands out for me involves a prominent Bishop and his estranged wife and four children. The relationship between the two had degenerated to such an extent that the Man of God had not been on speaking terms with his wife and children for nearly ten years. This was a test case for the Board’s ADR as efforts at mediation by religious leaders and other parties had failed in the past.

Two hundred and eight (208) senior secondary school pupils of the Hill Top Community Secondary School at Hill Station in Freetown make up the largest single group of children to have benefited from the Legal Aid Board at any given time. The pupils had their results released by the West African Examination Council after the intervention of the Board. WAEC had held on to the results because the school authorities had failed to pay the examination fees.

Children have also benefited from the Board’s legal education through school outreach. Children have been educated on the scheme, Child Rights Act 2007, how the justice system works, Rule of Law and Human rights. The Board held outreach events in fifty schools around the country in 2016. A total of four thousand six hundred and sixty-one (4,661) pupils participated in these events. The school outreach programme was unveiled in October 2016.

As the Board expands its operations following the deployment of paralegals in every district in December 2016, monitoring of child rights issues in the informal justice sector including Alternative Dispute Resolution services provided by chiefs and other actors have been stepped-up.

The establishment of Citizens Advisory Bureaus in three Wards in Freetown will continue to impact positively of child rights issues. The Board hopes to establish the Bureaus in all the 394 Wards in the country by the end of the year.

Author Joseph Dumbuya is the Registrar at the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board

LAB open 3 Citizens Advisory Bureaus

LAB open 3 Citizens Advisory Bureaus

The Legal Aid Board took the final step towards operationalizing the Citizens Advisory Bureau (CAB) by organizing a one-day training workshop for sixty volunteers at the Lumley Community Center in an area called Grassfield in the West of the capital.

The volunteers will be running the Bureaus in three Wards - 391, 393 and 394 - covering Pipeline, Thompson Bay, UN Drive, Scan Drive, Caningo, Sheriff Drive, Wilkinson Road and Grassfield in Lumley under the supervision of the Legal Aid Board.

Opening the training session, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles drew attention to the many inmates in our Correctional Centers who are not supposed to be there. She said the Bureaus will be providing a solution to this problem by resolving minor offences and disputes in the community so that they are not taken to the police or the courts.

She urged the volunteers to be fair in mediating complaints. ‘Being fair should be your guiding principle,’ Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said. ‘You will achieve quite a lot and command a lot of respect in the community because you will stand for the truth.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said the volunteers should be respectful to those visiting the Bureaus. ‘The first thing you should do is to calm down your visitors and make sure you listen to their every word,’ she said. ‘Matters which fall outside your remit should be referred to the relevant institution. 

This could be the police, the courts, Legal Aid Board or the Ministry of Lands among others.’ She said the Board will provide legal assistance to indigent clients referred to the Industrial court. She urged the volunteers to believe in themselves noting that they should not be afraid to stand up for what is right. She said they should be prepared to receive complaints from unlikely sources like high profile people in society.

The Community Outreach Officer, Ben Turay explained the Bye-Laws for the Bureaus. He noted that those running the Bureau should not have a criminal record. In addition, they should have a wealth of experience on community issues and in their respective fields of study.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the Board, Sallu Jusu underscored the importance of quality reporting in evaluating the work of the Bureau. He explained the various forms that should be filled out by the volunteers. This includes the Referral and Maintenance Agreement Form.

By: Joseph Dumbuya

LAB appeals to police to reduce numbers behind bars

The Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has told the senior officers of the Sierra Leone Police that the correctional centers and cells around the country continue to be full despite the fact that the Board provided legal services to twenty-six thousand (26,000) clients in 2016.

She expressed the concern while addressing the Executive Management Board of the Sierra Leone Police at their weekly meeting at the headquarters of the force on Wednesday, 15 February 2017.

She lamented the police are detaining some suspects for far too long. She urged the police to admit suspects to bail after completing investigations and to avoid imposing stiff bail conditions.

She drew attention to the case of one Francis Osman Mansaray who was held in detention for nearly one month in Makeni before he was transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters in Freetown where he is still being held.  

She also drew attention to variations in bail and sentencing. ‘We have had cases of different bail conditions for the same offence,’ she said. ‘This is why we are calling for the release of the new bail and sentencing policy without any further delay.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles also called on the police to issue an official statement on civil matters that should not be handled by police. Allaying fears of the police, she assured them that her staff know they should not interfere with investigations. ‘We monitor the police to ensure investigations are consistent with the law and human rights; we do not interfere with the work of the police,’ she stressed.

Responding to an appeal from the Inspector General of Police (IG), Francis Munu not to provide legal assistance to armed robbers who have become notorious for reoffending, Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said the scheme does not provide assistance to repeat offenders with overwhelming evidence against them. ‘A lawyer is as good as his case,’ she maintained. IG Munu had said earlier on that they detain armed robbers in order to protect society.

‘The important thing to note here is that, victims of armed robbery also form part of the clientele of the Board,’ she said. ”People should also know that we have lost cases in court. Unfortunately, this story is not being told.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles also called on the police to conduct investigations in a thorough manner so that suspects are not charged with the wrong offence. ‘Those who steal should not be charged with the more serious offence of robbery with aggravation,’ she stressed. ‘There is no point charging someone with a more serious offence when the ingredients to prove the case are non-existent.’

 Ms. Carlton-Hanciles assured the police that the Board has no interest in infringing on the mandate of any institution not least the Police. ‘We want to ensure there is synergy between our two institutions so that we can continue to refer matters between our two institutions,’ she said.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles intimated the police that the scheme now has a presence in every district in the country.  She disclosed that the Paralegals are running ADR clinics in these districts. ‘These efforts will reduce the pressure on the police,’ she said.

The Inspector General, Francis Munu blamed the negative views people hold about the police on the lack of legal education. He noted that when the police refuse to intervene on matters of land encroachment and debts, people view them unfavorably even though it is the right thing to do. 

‘When the police talk to the other party in a matter in the interest of fair hearing, people interpret it negatively,’ he said.  IG Munu argued that legal education by paralegals will educate people on issues of law and the justice system. This, in his view, will help them understand the work of the police and as such make an informed judgement on their work.

Both parties agreed to collaborate to ensure hardcore criminals do not benefit from Presidential Pardons after it emerged some prison inmates have impersonated those convicted on less serious offences to benefit from the Pardons. It was suggested that officers should be present at the time when beneficiaries of Presidential Pardons are released from prison to prevent any recurrence.

By: Joseph Dumbuya

LAB secures release of 208 WASSCE results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of two hundred and eight (208) pupils of the Hill Top Community Secondary School at Hill Station in Freetown on Friday, 10 February 2017 following the intervention of the Legal Aid Board. 

The Board got involved with the matter when over twenty visibly emotional pupils of the school stormed its offices on Wednesday, February 8 to lodge a complaint against the school authorities for the non-release of their West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results by the West African Examinations Council.

The spokesperson for the group, Umu Hawa Mansaray said they were shocked beyond words to be told by WAEC officials that their results have not been released because they had not paid the examinations fees. ‘We were told we owe twenty-eight million (Le28,000,000) in exam fees,’ Umu Hawa said. ‘We do not owe WAEC a penny.’

The pupils fear they could miss out of gaining admission into the University of Sierra Leone this academic year if the matter is not resolved by Friday, February 10, which is the deadline for the submission of application form.

Following contacts with the school authorities, the Consultant to the Board, Lawyer Francis Gabbidon wrote to WAEC appealing for the release of the results against the deadline of February 10 on humanitarian and compassionate grounds while the Legal Aid Board tries to recover the money from the school authorities.

At the same time, the matter was referred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters on Pademba Road in Freetown. This resulted in the arrest and detention of the Chair of the Board, the Principal and other senior staff of the school.  

This had an instant impact, as the Board with assistance from the Councilor of the Ward covering the school, Samuel Kargbo got the school authorities to pay twenty-one million eight hundred and thirty-five thousand leones (21,835,000) into the WAEC Account. The balance of six million two hundred and forty-five thousand (Le 6,245,000) was paid into the account on Friday, February 10. The Board then brought pressure to bear on WAEC to release the results without any further delay.  This resulted in the release of hard copies of the results to CID.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigations Department continues to its investigations into the matter.  

Reacting to the release of the results, an emotional Ms. Carlton-Hanciles had this to say: ‘It is heartwarming the mood among the children is totally different from one of doom and gloom we saw a few days ago when they stormed our offices. We are happy to put a smile on their faces and over and above all give them hope.’  

What to expect of Paralegals with the Legal Aid Board

The Legal Aid Board took a giant step towards expanding access to justice by deploying thirty-five Paralegals around the country in December 2016. Thanks to support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) which will last for one year.

The addition brings to a total of forty-sixty the number of Paralegals on the staff of the scheme. This does not include volunteers. Prior to the addition, the Board had eleven full-time Paralegals – two in the Western Area and nine in the three Regional Headquarter Towns.  It also had paralegal volunteers in Port Loko, Kambia and Kono.

The Board now has at least two paralegals in each of the twelve districts upcountry. The Western Urban has eight Paralegals while the Western Rural has five. This means the Board has a presence in every district in the country. This is good news for our clients – the poor and vulnerable – who face a lot of challenges accessing justice at both formal and informal level.

This is not good enough because Section 14 (2) of the Legal Aid Act 2012 provides that the ‘Board shall appoint at least one Paralegal to each Chiefdom.’  I agree but they say the journey of a million miles starts with the crucial first step.

Now, what should people expect from our Paralegals?  Also, what support should they give Paralegals to ensure maximum benefit from the scheme? Section 14 (2) (a) of the Act provides that Paralegals ‘provide advice, legal assistance and legal education to the Paramount Chief and the inhabitants of the Chiefdom,’ while Section 14 (2) (b) provides that ‘where appropriate to assist in diverting certain cases to the formal justice system.’

The Board’s Paralegals provide Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service for minor offences which are of a non-criminal nature. They also work closely with the Police, prison officers, formal and informal courts including ADR services (ADR) provided by actors which are not governed by the Local Court Act 2011. This includes such ADR services provided by Paramount Chiefs, Tribal Authorities, Religious and Women’s Leaders and other Actors in the community.

Please note that the informal justice systems as defined in a study by the Danish Institute of Human Rights, based on a cooperation with the East Africa Law Society ‘encompass the range of systems and mechanisms that are outside the ordinary courts and justice institutions and yet are trusted and used by people to resolve disputes and maintain social order. These include (i) those based in the traditional structure of village heads and chiefs, (ii) those based in religious structures and authorities, (iii) those based in the (local) administrative structures of government and (iv) those based on NGO promoted mediation schemes performed at community level by paralegals or village mediators.’

So, what are the Paralegals doing in your community? I must hasten to underline that my definition of Paralegal is consistent with the report by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, based on the East Africa Law Society in December 2011. The report defines Paralegals as: ‘Persons, in general, are without a law degree, but possess the relevant skills and training to provide some legal services to individuals and groups in need of legal aid.’

Our Paralegals are among the most experienced in the field having trained and worked as Paralegals in their respective communities for several years. Also, they were resident in the community at the time they were recruited.

While the legal services provided by Paralegals are limited to indigent adults, children, aged and retires, legal education is targeted at all and sundry. This is because an educated public on issues of law and the justice system will improve access to justice. Also, it will empower people to assert their rights while accessing the justice system.  More importantly, monitoring of rights issues at police stations and correctional centers will benefit all and sundry coming into contact with these justice sector institutions.  These include rights of suspects and accused persons as provided for in the Constitution and International Human Rights Instruments.  

They also assess the condition of the cell, determine the number of suspects and accused persons held therein as against the capacity of the facility and whether the detainees include children. This is because all the Police Stations in the country do not have a cell for children. In most cases child suspects are held in adult cells.

Additionally, they assess whether arrest and detention of suspects meet constitutional provisions. They provide legal services where these provisions have been breached. This includes challenging detentions which go beyond periods provided by the constitution.  They also assist suspects with securing bail, monitoring investigations and statement taking.

Recently, on Wednesday, February 1 to be exact, I was at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters on Pademba Road in Freetown to monitor a complaint filed by Parliament against one of Sierra Leone’s leading human rights activists, Abdul Fatoma of the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI). I must confess I was impressed with the reception accorded me. I sat there listening to two police officers obtain statement from him and throughout the time I was satisfied with the manner it was conducted.

But the relationship is not always rosy.  One of our new paralegals went to the Allen Town Police Station and was prevented from doing his work because the Police claimed they had not been informed of the visit. They further claimed that they were not aware of the work of the Board. You and I know this is far from the truth, more so for officers in the Western Area. The Board prides its relationship with justice sector institutions since its inception in May 2015. The Board had a partnership agreement with the Sierra Leone Police and the Sierra Leone Correction Service one month later in June.

Recently, Police officers poured scorn on one of our Paralegals for drawing attention to the fact that the police station has not got a cell for children and therefore cannot detain a child suspect who had been taken there by a high profile politician.

The visit to Correctional Centers by Paralegals has provided insights into prison conditions, prison population, remand inmates without indictments and related human rights issues. Through these visits, the Board was able to identify the so-called forgotten remand inmates. This includes those who have been on remand for up to eleven years in extreme cases. Some of who had served more time on remand than the maximum sentence for such offences if they were convicted. 

Also, they provide an accurate picture of accused persons without indictment. This information has helped the Board in engagements with the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice to ensure indictments were served on those concerned.

Prior to the opening of Magistrate Courts in every district in the country, accused persons will spends months or years behind bars waiting for  their cases to be heard in court.

The decision of the current Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Joseph Kamara to establish seventeen Magistrate and three High Courts around the country is worthy of mention. The impact has been immense. The Paralegals have also been able to provide accurate figures of prison population. This has enable the Board to self-assess in terms of efforts at decongesting correctional centers around the country. The Board has used this information to draw attention to the increases and thus proffered suggestions to reverse this trend by way of lessening the bail condition, shortening sentences especially for minor offences and referrals to institutions outside the criminal justice system.  

The Paralegals have also been very active in the informal justice sector including the Alternative Dispute Resolution services provides by actors not governed by the Local Court Act 2011.  There have been a check on the excesses of actors providing Alternative Dispute Resolution services bothering on prohibitive fines, arrest and detention which are illegal, fees to visit crime scene and disputed property and the treatment of women.

Expectedly, the relationship has not been smooth but a lot of progress has been made. For instance, there have been cases referred to the Board in Kenema by Paramount Chiefs in the Eastern Province. The Board in Kenema has mediated a matter between a Court Chairman and a resident of Kailahun District.    

The Paralegals have made the most impact in this area. They have resolved an impressive number of community level problems which would have cost a lot of money and time were these matters taken to the formal or the local courts.

Author Joseph Dumbuya is the Registrar at the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board

LAB appoint new Paralegal for children

The Legal Aid Board has announced that Edmond Pratt will serve as the Paralegal responsible for juveniles in the meantime. This follows the suspension of Child Advocate Ibrahim Kallon on half-pay because of a matter brought against him by the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden. Kallon is presently standing trial answering to charges of Threatening Language, Insulting Conduct and Defamatory Libel.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has told a cross section of the national executive of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) that the Board will stand with them as they go through the most divisive period in the history of the organization.

‘We were there to protect the rights of two of your members who were taken to the New England Police Station on Friday, 27 January 2017 by the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs,’ she said. ‘The Board will continue to protect you wherever you are because we now have Paralegals in all the fourteen districts in the country.’

Edmond Pratt is no stranger to youth activism. He is one of the finest in the field.  He is a founder member of the Youth Forum Network which he served as National Coordinator for eight years. He was also National Coordinator for the Kids Advocacy Network for two years, which saw him travel the length and breadth of Sierra Leone.  He is one of the pioneers for the establishment of the Children’s Commission and the Child Rights Act 2007.

Edmond is an Associate members of the Children’s Forum Network and the Public Relations Officer for the Western Area Youth Council. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Youth Advocate Award for 2015 from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the National Youth Led Award. 

Edmond is expected to bring a lot of energy into his new role. ‘I am happy to step in especially at a time when the relationship between the children and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs is in bad shape,’ Edmond said.  ‘We will continue to provide leadership in protecting the rights of children around the country.’

LAB takes legal education to YWCA

The pupils of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), have benefited from the Board’s legal education programme. The event was hosted at the school, Brookfields in Freetown last Wednesday, February 1.

The pupils were sensitized on the mandate of the Board and how children in conflict with the law can benefit from the scheme.  ‘We provide free legal services to children in conflict with the law without any precondition,’ the Programme Officer for the Western Area, Mohamed Tejan-Rahman said. ‘Our Alternative Dispute Resolution service ensures parents meet commitments to their children including paying school and providing food and accommodation.’

The event was also used to sensitize the children on issues of Rule of Law, Children and Women’s Rights and Human Rights. Some of the newly trained Paralegals participated in the event in the form of a talk on conflict resolution and counseling. 

 

Mohamed Tejan-Rahman speaking at the event while his colleague Frances Jarret looks on

LAB appoint new Paralegal for children

LAB appoint new Paralegal for children

The Legal Aid Board has announced that Edmond Pratt will serve as the Paralegal responsible for juveniles in the meantime. This follows the suspension of Child Advocate Ibrahim Kallon on half-pay because of a matter brought against him by the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden. Kallon is presently standing trial answering to charges of Threatening Language, Insulting Conduct and Defamatory Libel.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has told a cross section of the national executive of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) that the Board will stand with them as they go through the most divisive period in the history of the organization.

‘We were there to protect the rights of two of your members who were taken to the New England Police Station on Friday, 27 January 2017 by the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs,’ she said. ‘The Board will continue to protect you wherever you are because we now have Paralegals in all the fourteen districts in the country.’

Edmond Pratt is no stranger to youth activism. He is one of the finest in the field.  He is a founder member of the Youth Forum Network which he served as National Coordinator for eight years. He was also National Coordinator for the Kids Advocacy Network for two years, which saw him travel the length and breadth of Sierra Leone.  He is one of the pioneers for the establishment of the Children’s Commission and the Child Rights Act 2007.

Edmond is an Associate members of the Children’s Forum Network and the Public Relations Officer for the Western Area Youth Council. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Youth Advocate Award for 2015 from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the National Youth Led Award. 

Edmond is expected to bring a lot of energy into his new role. ‘I am happy to step in especially at a time when the relationship between the children and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs is in bad shape,’ Edmond said.  ‘We will continue to provide leadership in protecting the rights of children around the country.’

SIERRA LEONE LEGAL AID BOARD: LAB secures bail for Human Rights Activist

SIERRA LEONE LEGAL AID BOARD: LAB secures bail for Human Rights Activist

LAB secures bail for Human Rights Activist

LAB secures bail for Human Rights Activist.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles assisted in securing bail for the Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), Abdul Fatoma on Wednesday.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles had a busy morning at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Pademba Road on Wednesday, February 1 where she was joined by the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, Mr. Brima Sheriff and the human rights lawyer Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai in response to the arrest and detention of Fatoma. 

Fatoma had spent the night in the cell at the CID and this had put the human rights community on the edge.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles had had a particularly difficult weekend following a matter between the country’s Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden and the Board’s Paralegal responsible for Juvenile matters, Ibrahim Kallon.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles and team had a meeting with Fatoma in his cell. ‘We were pleasantly surprised that Fatoma is in very high spirit,’ she said. Fatoma was visibly furious with the way he was treated by the Parliamentarians. ‘I was invited to Parliament but ended up being escorted there by police officers after picking me up from Radio Democracy at New England where I was guest on the morning programme,’ he said.

The officers briefed the team on the status of the investigations. This was followed by series of meetings with officers of CID including its head Chief Superintendent Mohamed Kamara. Initially, there was confusion among officers regarding his next appearance in parliament. This was later clarified that he should appear on Monday, February 6 at 10 am.

The Executive Director had detailed a staff of the Board at the CID on Tuesday, January 31 following Fatoma’s arrest. The staff joined Lawyer Francis Ben Kaifala to monitor the matter. The staff spent over an hour observing investigators take statement from him.

The scenes at CID were eye-catching as leading civil society activists and journalists including Umaru Fofana and Ngolo Kata descended on the building  to follow-up on the matter.

By: Joseph Dumbuya 

LAB staff slammed with three count charge

LAB staff slammed with three count charge.

The Legal Aid Board’s Paralegal responsible for Juvenile matters, Ibrahim Kallon made his first appearance before Magistrate Binneh Kamara of Court No. 1 on Tuesday, January 31 to answer to three count of Threatening Language, Insulting Conduct and Defamatory Libel. Ibrahim was granted bail and the matter was adjourned to Friday, 3 February 2017.

Ibrahim Kallon had gone to the New England Police Station on Friday evening, January 27 to monitor a matter involving two children of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN). The matter had been referred to the police by the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden.

As a Paralegal with the Legal Aid Board, Ibrahim went to the police station to ensure the rights of the children were respected. This includes drawing attention to the lack of a cell for children in the police station like other stations in the Western Area should the children be refused bail.

The Executive Director of the Legal Board, Ms. Claire Carlton-Hanciles assigned the Juvenile Lawyer, Joel Deen-Tarawally to the matter on Saturday, January 28 to assist Ibrahim.  Lawyer Deen-Tarawally and Ibrahim Kallon were able to secure bail for one of the juvenile suspects. Prior to the arrival of Lawyer Deen-Tarawally, Ibrahim had successfully secured the release of one of the suspects.

The securing of bail for the last remaining suspect resulted in wide celebration from tens of CFN members including its national President Paulina Bangura who were present in the vicinity. They sang the praise of Ibrahim.

Developments took a turn for the ugly when Ibrahim posted a message on social media that he has been arrested. He was consequently transferred to the Central Police station where he was detained for three days. All efforts to secure bail proved futile. No reasons were given for this despite questions to the effect. 

It is important to note that Ibrahim is a former member of CFN. He had also served as an executive member of the organization. He is seen as a mentor. This explains  his close relationship with the organization.  

 The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board has in a press statement called on the members of the public to respect the rights of both parties in this matter. ‘As a legal aid organization, our interest in this matter is to ensure both parties are treated equally before the law and also access justice in fair and transparent manner.’ Ms. Carlton-Hanciles stressed.

Ibrahim Kallon is represented by a private lawyer, Joseph Ben Kaifala who will be joined by Lawyer Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai a leading human rights lawyer. Lawyer Abdulai who is presently out of the country will be in court at the next adjournment date.

This matter has aroused a lot of interest from children’s organizations and human rights activists including Abdul Fatorma of the Center for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI).  

‘We struggling to cope with complaints’ - LAB Executive Director

 ‘We struggling to cope with complaints’    -  LAB Executive Director

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has said that the scheme is overwhelmed with complaints from people seeking legal service through the Board’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Service.  ‘Our offices are full to overflowing by 9 o’clock in the morning and this is putting a lot of pressure on us,’ she said. ‘People struggle to find space in our office, even corridors are cramped with those waiting to access our ADR service.’

The ADR Officer, Reverend Bob-Kandeh said they mediate an average of 13 to 15 complaints per day. ‘We mediate a vast array of cases a day,’ he said. ‘I mediated fourteen complaints by the closed of business today. They range from benefit claim to wage, maintenance, estate, family and marital matters’

Reverend Bob- kandeh also disclosed that the ADR service receives at least fifteen complaints from members of the public per day. ‘We received a complaint from Kambia and we had to refer it to our Port Loko office.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said that confidence in the quality of service provided by the Board’s ADR is growing in leaps and bounds.  She attributed this to the fact that the service is free and speedy. ‘We mediate complaints in a matter of hours or days,’ she said. ‘What’s more, we reconcile the parties unlike what obtains in the courts. We have resolved matters which have taken years in the courts.’

According to Ms. Carlton-Hanciles the police and the courts are also referring matters to the Board for mediation. ‘We have both the police and the Magistrate court in Bo referring matters to us in a single week,’ she said. ‘Our message on matters the police should not be handling is gradually sinking down and this is increasing the pressure on us. The police are gradually shying away from matters relating to debt and land because it has been made clear that they should not be handling.’

She also disclosed that the Board is under pressure from those who are having problems with their lawyers or can no longer afford to pay for their legal services. ‘As we speak, some 150 former employers of the African Minerals are requesting legal assistance from the scheme even though they have a lawyer,’ she noted.  

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said that the Board will be establishing a second ADR service in the Freetown office to cope with the ever increasing numbers seeking the service. In addition, an office will be opened in Waterloo to service those in that part of the Western Area.

Meanwhile, Ms. Carlton-Hanciles has continued his call on the judiciary and the police to join the Board in reducing the prison population. ‘We are still struggling to address the overcrowding in our prisons and cells inspite of our best efforts,’ she said. ‘I am deeply concerned with this state of affairs and would therefore like to call on the judiciary and the police to take the necessary steps to reduce the remand population in our detention facilities across the country.’

LAB client blast aunt for incarceration

LAB client blast aunt for incarceration

‘My aunt who happens to be the complainant in the matter against me was only interested in having me behind bars which she succeeded in doing,’ Tejan Suma said following his discharge by the court on Monday, 16 January 2017. ‘My aunt was never interested in seeking justice. This is why she never testified in the trial, not once.’

Tejan Suma and Ishmael Kanu were discharged for want of prosecution following an application by the lawyer for the Legal Aid Board, Cheryl Sembie. Prior to the application, the State Prosecutor had told the court that the formal witness is not interested in proceeding with the matter.

The statement of offence notes that the accused persons were arrested on 26 October 2015 and taken to the Adonkia Police Station following a complaint by Kadiatu Netherwood who had alleged that Tejan and Ismael broke into her house and stole nine million leones (Le9,000,000).

The two spent eight days in detention at the Adonkia Police while the matter was being investigated. They were consequently charged with larceny and conspiracy.  The accused were denied bail by Magistrate Bangura of Court No. 5 during preliminary trial.

Magistrate Bangura committed the matter to the High Court in January 2016. The accused spent eight months at the Pademba Road Correctional Center before they were issued an indictment in September 2016.

Speaking during pre-discharge orientation at the Legal Aid Board office in Freetown, the accused still maintain their innocence. Tejan also drew attention to fact that while the statement of offence indicate that nine million leones was stolen the indictment on the other hand put the amount at nineteen million leones.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has no kind words for the complainant, Kadiatu Netherwood for failing to testify    in the matter. ‘This woman made very serious allegations against these young men but deliberately refused to testify in court,’ she said. ‘The whole idea that the complainant should cooperate with the investigation at the police but withdraw from the matter once the suspect is charged and refused bail is unacceptable by every standard. We have too many such cases in our courts. It is high time we started doing something about it because it is undermining the justice system.’ 

LAB joins former client to harvest groundnut.

LAB joins former client to harvest groundnut.

Six months after the Sierra Leone Legal Aid and the National Farmers Federation signed a Cooperation Agreement to work together to promote the reintegration of beneficiaries of the scheme, the parties to the agreement came together last Friday celebrate a major achievement at Levuma village, close to the fishing village of Tombo in the Western Rural District.

Staff of the Legal Aid Board, members of the National Federation and residents of Levuma joined Santigie Kamara a beneficiary of the scheme on his farm to harvest groundnuts on Friday, 16 December 2016.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles, the President of the National Farmers Federation Mr. Olu John and the Headman of Levuma village took part in the symbolic harvesting of the groundnuts.   

‘We are proud at what the Sierra Leone Legal Aid and the National Farmers Federation have achieved in transforming the live of Santigie Kamara,’ Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said while harvesting the groundnuts. ”From an uncertain future when we secured Santigie’s freedom in May 2016, he now has a sustainable source of livelihood in farming. The message to all our former clients out there is this: ‘If Santigie can turn around his life, you too can make it.’ Just believe in yourself, work hard and ignore what the cynics may say about your past.”

The President of the National Farmers Federation, Mr. Olu John addressing a meeting at Levuma before the symbolic harvesting said they in the Farmers Federation had made a commitment on 14 July 2016 to lend efforts to the reintegration of former clients of the Legal Aid, which they have translated into practical terms. ‘The lesson we have learned is that you never give up on people,’ he said. ‘We have succeeded in transforming Santigie, we will succeed with all the others we have employed and those in the next cropping season. 

Santigie spoke of the challenges he encountered reintegrating into the community. ‘People used to treat me differently as though I am a bad person,’ he said. He spoke of how he overcame those challenges by working hard and contributing to the welbeing of the community. 

The former headman for the village, James Macfoy praised Mr. Olu John for providing leadership in the community. He said they have achieved a lot as a community because they have been following in the footsteps of Mr. John.  

Santigie is the first of twenty-five former clients of the Legal Aid Board to benefit from the Cooperation Agreement between the two organizations. Following a meeting between the Board and four executive members of the National Farmers Federation 14 July 2016 in which the agreement was reached, Ms. Carlton-Hanciles immediately handed over Santigie to Mr. John.

Santigie had become a regular visitor to the office since the Board secured his freedom to ask for help with his reintegration.  

LAB and Correctional Service draw battle lines.

LAB and Correctional Service draw battle lines.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has expressed utter disgust at a report from a partner organization in Waterloo regarding the treatment of remand inmates attending court in that part of the country.

This came about after the meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the Waterloo-based Technical Integration Training Youth for Social Action, Morris Kamara- Foday who intimated Ms. Carlton-Hanciles that remand intimates from the Pademba Road Correctional Center are kept for hours in the poorly ventilated oven-like truck called Black Maria whilst waiting for their cases to be called up in court. They are immediately bundled to the Black Maria after their cases have been heard by the Magistrate, where they will have to wait for hours to be driven back to the Pademba Road Correctional Center. 

‘The remand inmates spend not less than one hour on the road to Waterloo and are then kept for several hours in the Black Maria in the scorching sun waiting for their turn in court,’ Kamara-Foday told Ms. Carlton-Hanciles. ‘Also, those from the Waterloo Police Station who are making their first appearance in court are kept in a cell shaped like a water tank with hardly any ventilation.’

Kamara-Foday told Ms. Carlton-Hanciles that his protestations at the treatment of the remand inmates have been ignored.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles has vowed this will not be tolerated in the New Year. ‘Remand inmates have rights which should be protected,’ she said. ‘The Correctional Service must find a proper place to keep those waiting to attend court or forget about taking them to Waterloo. We will settle down for an open detention but not in the Black Maria Truck I will assure everybody.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles disclosed that she is deploying three Paralegals in the Western Rural District in the New Year. ‘Their first task will be to keep an eye on how remand inmates taken to Waterloo are treated,’ she said. ‘This is why I am deploying Mr. Gibril Jalloh in Waterloo, who is very experience in Court Monitoring.’ 

In addition, Ms. Carlton-Hanciles has threatened to take up the matter with the Chief Justice as last resort. ‘These abuses should not happen under the watch of the judiciary’ she stressed.

LAB hold first paralegal workshop

LAB hold first paralegal workshop

The Country Officer for the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Joe Pemagbi has on Wednesday, January 18 declared open an eight-day training workshop for thirty-five (35) paralegals of the Legal Aid Board.

He expressed delight at being part of the first training workshop for paralegals organized by the Legal Aid Board at the Senior Officers Mess in Kingtom, Freetown. More so, one that is being funded by the Open society Foundations and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa under the Legal Empowerment Shared Framework.

Pemagbi noted that a huge percentage of the population cannot afford to access justice. He added that access to justice is not just for people in the urban areas. He therefore urged the new paralegals to go into the community and help the poor and marginalize access justice. ‘We at OSIWA believe people must benefit from our support,’ he stressed.

He said there is a lot of work out there and that the paralegals cannot do it alone. ‘You need to work with community actors to create maximum impact,’ he noted. He said his organization has supported other organizations like TIMAP for Justice, NAMATI and LAWYERS to promote access to justice.     

He expressed the hope that the training will be participatory and at the same time should bring to the fore critical issues that will impact positively on the work they are doing in the community.

The Lead Consultant at OSIWA, Sonia Osho-Williams said she is impressed at the experiences the Paralegals have acquired over the years working in legal aid. ‘We believe you are the best in the field,’ she said.

Ms. Williams shared her experience of paralegal work in the UK and Sierra Leone, which she underlined has taught her to understand her client and therefore care for them better. She emphasized that having passion is crucial to Paralegal work. ‘Being a Paralegal is a passion; it is a calling; it is a ministry,’ she said. ‘You should always be ready to go to the police station or wherever your services are needed.’

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles told the Paralegals that they must ensure the rights of people are respected while accessing justice. She urged them not to be afraid to mediate except in criminal matters. In addition, they should work with the police to ensure rights are respected’ Also, ensure bad eggs in the police force do not abuse the rights of suspects.

She drew attention to the fact that the Justice Sector has been rated poorly in the past, being the last in the rankings in a number of surveys. ‘The poor and vulnerable are disadvantaged in accessing justice, ’she said. ‘You are going into these communities to reverse this trend because equity in access to justice is a fundamental human right.’   

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said that the way forward for access to justice is through Paralegals. She added that most of the cases in our courts are domestic which could be mediated by Paralegals. She noted that illiteracy and poverty are key challenges to access to justice. Also, this is why many do not want to go to the police or the courts because doing so is costly coupled with the fact that cases could drag on for a long time. ‘Most people prefer mediation to the courts,’ she said. ‘You do not have to take sides in mediating cases. Those who refuse the mediation you should refer to the police or other relevant institutions.’

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said the Board has over one hundred partners across the country they should work with. She told the Paralegals that they should provide assistance to any indigent resident in Sierra Leone regardless of nationality. 

The Consultant to the Legal Aid Board, Lawyer Francis Gabbiddon said that a good paralegal system is crucial to promoting access to justice. This is because Paralegals complement other actors in the justice sector. He urged the Paralegals not to hesitate to ask questions because it will help identify those needing assistance and uncover cases of abuse.

The Legal Aid Manager, Lawyer Ansumana Ivan Sesay presented a paper on ‘Expectations of the public and Mode of Operation for Paralegals. What does it entail?’ He described a Paralegal as a provider of legal first aid to the community especially to vulnerable or disadvantaged groups like women, children and the disabled.

He further noted that Paralegals play a key role in the dispensation of justice in the community and as such society expect much from them. ‘The public expect paralegals in the discharged of their duties to facilitate the enhancement of the dispensation of justice at community level by providing legal service to the community i.e. primary justice at the community level and also help in the provision and promotion of community members accessing justice,’ he said. ‘It is also expected that community paralegals in the course of their duties help to protect the human right of the community members at the local level.’

Mr. Sesay said that community based paralegals programs like this one supported by OSIWA occupy an important space in the sierra Leone justice services sector as they provide concrete, proximate and relevant solutions to the most widely experienced justice problems.

The training will continue in the next seven days as the Paralegals will be educated on the Paralegal Training Manual developed by the Legal Aid Board, and Civil and Criminal Law.

LAB staff slammed with three count charge.

LAB staff slammed with three count charge.

The Legal Aid Board’s Paralegal responsible for Juvenile matters, Ibrahim Kallon made his first appearance before Magistrate Binneh Kamara of Court No. 1 on Tuesday, January 31 to answer to three count of Threatening Language, Insulting Conduct and Defamatory Libel. Ibrahim was granted bail and the matter was adjourned to Friday, 3 February 2017.

Ibrahim Kallon had gone to the New England Police Station on Friday evening, January 27 to monitor a matter involving two children of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN). The matter had been referred to the police by the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden.

As a Paralegal with the Legal Aid Board, Ibrahim went to the police station to ensure the rights of the children were respected. This includes drawing attention to the lack of a cell for children in the police station like other stations in the Western Area should the children be refused bail.

The Executive Director of the Legal Board, Ms. Claire Carlton-Hanciles assigned the Juvenile Lawyer, Joel Deen-Tarawally to the matter on Saturday, January 28 to assist Ibrahim.  Lawyer Deen-Tarawally and Ibrahim Kallon were able to secure bail for one of the juvenile suspects. Prior to the arrival of Lawyer Deen-Tarawally, Ibrahim had successfully secured the release of one of the suspects.

The securing of bail for the last remaining suspect resulted in wide celebration from tens of CFN members including its national President Paulina Bangura who were present in the vicinity. They sang the praise of Ibrahim.

Developments took a turn for the ugly when Ibrahim posted a message on social media that he has been arrested. He was consequently transferred to the Central Police station where he was detained for three days. All efforts to secure bail proved futile. No reasons were given for this despite questions to the effect. 

It is important to note that Ibrahim is a former member of CFN. He had also served as an executive member of the organization. He is seen as a mentor. This explains  his close relationship with the organization.  

 The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board has in a press statement called on the members of the public to respect the rights of both parties in this matter. ‘As a legal aid organization, our interest in this matter is to ensure both parties are treated equally before the law and also access justice in fair and transparent manner.’ Ms. Carlton-Hanciles stressed.

Ibrahim Kallon is represented by a private lawyer, Joseph Ben Kaifala who will be joined by Lawyer Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai a leading human rights lawyer. Lawyer Abdulai who is presently out of the country will be in court at the next adjournment date.

This matter has aroused a lot of interest from children’s organizations and human rights activists including Abdul Fatorma of the Center for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI).  

By: Joseph Dumbuya