By Saio Marrah
The Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards has on Wednesday 10th May 2023, appointed 26 judges to administer justice at the newly established Electoral Offences and Petitions Courts across the country.
20 of the judges are assigned to specific regions and districts, according to the Sierra Leone Gazette published on Thursday 11th May this year, also stating that the other six judges are assigned generally to the courts.
The six judges are Justice Momojah Stevens, Justice Ivan Sesay, Justice Fatmata Bintu Alhadi and Justice Komba Kamanda, Justice Tonia Barnett, and Justice Jamesina King.
Of the 20 judges assigned for electoral justice to the different locations, Justice Dr. Abou Bhakarr Binneh and Justice Simeon Allieu are to dispense electoral justice in Western Rural District, with sittings in York.
For the Western Area Urban, Justice Adrian Fisher and Justice Hanna Bonnie will preside over such cases in Freetown.
Justice Abdul Rahman Mansaray and Justice S.O. Taylor are to cover Falaba and Koinadugu districts with an independent registry in Kabala.
Justice Abdul Sheriff and Justice Amy Wright have been assigned to Port Loko and Kambia districts with the independent registry in Port Loko, while Justice Mohamed Bawoh and Justice John Bosco Allieu will preside over cases in Bombali and Karene districts with the independent registry in Makeni.
For the East, Justice Francis Banks-Kamara and Justice Lornard Taylor will be in Kailahun, while Justice Aggrey Aruna and Justice Manuela Harding are assigned to the Kenema district.
Justice Augustine K. Musa and Justice Cosmotina Jarrett are to dispense electoral justice in the Kono district.
Both Bo and Pujehun districts will have Justice Abu Bakarr Sannoh and Justice Alfred Ganda sitting on cases with independent registries in Bo.
For Moyamba and Bonthe districts, the independent registry will be based in Moyamba with Justice Albert Moody and Justice Michael P. Mami presiding over cases.
This announcement was followed by a two-day training of court registrars on electoral justice on the 12 and 13th of May 2023.
Also, officials from the Judiciary and the Ministry of Works and Public Assets as well as contractors for face-lifting of the electoral courts made a one-day visit to Kabala, Port Loko, and Kambia to assess the state of the court structures in those locations.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (15/05/23)
