By Emma Black
In a landmark initiative to strengthen judicial access and promote human rights, Sierra Leone’s Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Komba Kamanda, on 1 July 2025, has launched a nationwide Prisons Court Monitoring exercise aimed at addressing prolonged detentions and enhancing justice delivery within the country’s correctional centers.
The five-day judicial mission, running from Tuesday, 1st July to Saturday, 5th July 2025, will cover key locations across the country, including Bo, Kenema, Moyamba, Mattru Jong, Magburaka, Kabala, Makeni, Kambia, Port Loko, and Freetown, the initiative, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), underscores the judiciary’s commitment to providing fair, timely, and inclusive access to justice for all, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations behind bars.
As part of the program, six high court judges have been assigned to conduct in-prison court sittings, focusing on, reviewing cases of prolonged pre-trial detention, Reevaluating bail conditions, assessing the legal and health status of mentally or physically challenged inmates, providing relief for elderly detainees
This hands-on approach is designed to decongest overcrowded prisons, accelerate case resolution, and ensure the fundamental rights of detainees are protected under the law, speaking ahead of the tour, chief justice Kamanda highlighted the significance of the effort in delivering justice to those often forgotten in the system.
This initiative is more than just a legal obligation it’s a moral imperative, by taking the court to correctional centers, we are reaffirming our belief that justice delayed is justice denied, he said.
We aim to uphold the rights of every individual, particularly those most vulnerable in our correctional system. I extend sincere gratitude to our partners, especially UNDP, for their unwavering support.
The prison court monitoring aligns with the Judiciary’s broader strategic plan, which prioritizes justice sector reform, human rights protection, and efficient case management systems. It also reflects Sierra Leone’s commitment to key principles under SDG 16, peace, justice, and strong institutions.
The Judiciary’s proactive efforts to reach remote and underserved correctional facilities are being lauded by legal reform advocates and international partners as a practical step toward reducing pre-trial detention, improving due process, and enhancing confidence in the justice system.
The Judiciary has assured the public of transparency and accountability throughout the exercise and encourages citizens and civil society organizations to engage and observe the process where appropriate.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Friday,4th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
