By Mohamed Vandi in Kenema
At the Kenema District Council hall yesterday, the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Umu Hawa Tejan Jalloh launched a process that sees the judiciary take over the local courts which until now were under the purview of the ministry of local government. This is in fulfillment of the Local Court Act of 2011. Speaking at the launch, the Chief Justice said the Local Court Act repealed the old act of 1963 that placed the Local Court under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Local Government. Describing the new act as significant, she said it was a move aimed at providing oversight functions of the local courts which she said were now under the office of the Chief Justice. She said the courts were established to meet the needs of the people residing in rural areas so as to dispense justice within the specific context of their customs and tradition, adding that she was determined to upgrade the status of the Local Court to an enviable one to be compared to similar courts in other countries. She described justice is the bed rock of any democratic government, adding that without it peace would not prevail. “We have not come to take position from anybody, but to do the correct thing that will upgrade the status of our tradition as it is happening in other countries” she said, and solicited the support of Paramount Chiefs and other local authorities. She said that since the enactment of the Act respective committees had been formed to look into for proper implementation. She assured that no more would local court sittings be observed “under trees or in broken houses”, adding that she was prepared to give the Local Courts a befitting status, including a good housing facility. “With Peace there is always stability which will enable everybody to participate in the Agenda for prosperity” said the chief Justice. Attorney General and Minister of Justice said his presence at the ceremony was to affirm that the supervision of the local court had finally moved from the executive branch of Government to the judiciary. He said both the 1991 constitution and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that all courts system be under the chief Justice. He assured of government’s commitment to supporting the local court system and congratulated the chief Justice “for improving” the judiciary. Resident Minister East William Juana Smith praised President Ernest Bai Koroma for appointing a woman to head the judiciary. He said the Local Court System had existed in different forms over the years and that he was happy that it had been handed over to the judiciary. The Director of Open Government Initiative Khadija Sesay said lauded the efforts of the Chief Justice to ensure justice was dispensed “professionally”. She said the leadership of the Chief Justice had improved the judiciary with admirable increase of the number of Magistrates and Judges and called on the local authorities to embrace the new initiative of the local court system which she said would add value to the entire judicial sector. Chairman, Council of Paramount Chiefs, Kailondo Banya appealed to the Chief Justice to embark on an effective sensitization drive so that local court officials that did not witness the occasion would get the information. He said most of the Local Courts Chairmen were illiterate something he said had posed a lot of problems and conflicts between them and the Court Clerk.
