THE LEAD HOTEL, Freetown, 7th September, 2026: The Honourable Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, His Lordship Justice Komba Kamanda, has called on African judiciaries to adopt stronger, gender-sensitive approaches to interpreting and enforcing women’s health and reproductive rights.
Chief Justice Kamanda made the call while delivering the keynote address at a Regional Judicial Colloquium organized by the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum and the Center for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria in South Africa on the judicial enforcement of Article 14 of the Maputo Protocol, which protects women’s sexual and reproductive health rights.
He encouraged courts to ensure that rights guaranteed under African and international human-rights instruments become practical realities rather than “aspirational promises”. He emphasised that Article 14 should be read alongside Article 16 of the African Charter, which guarantees the right to the best attainable state of physical and mental health.
The Honourable Chief Justice also implored judges to consider how laws and judicial decisions affect women and girls in practice, particularly those facing unequal bargaining power, economic dependence, violence, stigma or limited access to healthcare and legal assistance.
He cautioned against allowing stereotypes concerning motherhood, sexuality, marriage, family responsibilities and gender roles to influence judicial reasoning or assessments of credibility.
“True impartiality,” he said, “requires the court to approach each case without stereotypes or preconceived assumptions.”
The Chief Justice called for courts to interpret women’s rights consistently with human dignity, equality and non-discrimination, while treating Article 14 as an enforceable human-rights commitment. He also urged courts to provide effective remedies, strengthen judicial training on gender-sensitive adjudication and African human-rights law, and deepen judicial dialogue and the sharing of progressive jurisprudence across African jurisdictions.
He stressed that access to justice must be meaningful and include access to information, affordable legal assistance, comprehensible procedures, protection from intimidation and retaliation, gender-sensitive judicial officers and enforceable decisions.
Honourable Chief Justice Kamanda noted Sierra Leone’s progress in strengthening protections for women and girls, while emphasising the judiciary’s role in translating those commitments into effective access to justice.
In his remarks, Honourable Dr. Justice Alfred Mavedzenge, Programs Director of the AJJF, said the meeting provided an opportunity to examine how courts can give practical effect to Article 14 through gender-sensitive interpretation and adjudication.
According to him, legal recognition alone does not guarantee women’s enjoyment of their rights, citing continuing legal, institutional, socio-cultural and economic barriers to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Honourable Chief Justice Kamanda officially declared the colloquium open, urging participants to strengthen jurisprudence, improve judicial practice and deepen cooperation among African judiciaries.
The President of Legal Access through Women Yearning for Equality, Rights and Social Justice (LAWYERS), Madam Menisa Sesay thanked the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum and the Center for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria for convening such a timely meeting on the advancement of women’s Health and Reproductive Rights. She described them as fundamental human rights.
Statement was also made by the Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, Prof. Nkatha Murungi. She spoke virtually and gave a comprehensive background about their organisation.
For more information, please contact the Judiciary of Sierra Leone Communications and Public Affairs Unit or visit our website on www.judiciary.gov.sl or follow us on our social media platforms.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 9th September 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
