The Court of Appeal has set aside a High Court judgment in a land ownership dispute between the Kaimapo and Kobba families in Bo District, while upholding a separate High Court judgment in a murder case involving Abdul Rahman Jalloh and the State.

The two judgments were delivered on Monday, November 9, 2026, as the Court of Appeal commenced its sittings in Kenema City under an initiative of Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Komba Kamanda, aimed at improving access to justice across the country.

The Court, presided over by Honourable Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi JSC, sitting alongside Honourable Justice Michael P. Mami JA and Honourable Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu JA, unanimously allowed the appeal in the land dispute and set aside the High Court judgment in its entirety.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Alhadi explained that the matter arose from an appeal against a decision of the Local Appeals Division of the High Court sitting in Bo, delivered on January 30, 2026.

She said the trial judge, sitting with two assessors, had allowed the appeal of the respondents and declared them the lawful owners of the disputed land situated at Bayama Village, Kakua Chiefdom, Bo District.

Dissatisfied with the decision, the appellants challenged the High Court judgment on five grounds, principally alleging errors of law, misdirection, procedural irregularities and that the judgment was against the weight of the evidence.

After reviewing the facts and applicable law, the three-member Court of Appeal panel ruled in favour of the appellants, restoring the earlier decisions of the Local Court and District Appeal Court.

“The concurrent findings and judgments of the Local Court and the District Appeal Court in favour of the Appellants are hereby restored and affirmed,” the judges unanimously ordered.

The Court further declared the appellants the lawful owners of the disputed land at Bayama Village, Kakua Chiefdom, Bo District.

In the second matter, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court judgment in the murder case involving Abdul Rahman Jalloh and the State. However, the Judiciary of Sierra Leone Communications and Public Affairs Unit said a detailed report on the full judgment would be provided in its next edition.

The commencement of the Court of Appeal sittings in Kenema has also attracted commendations from stakeholders across the district, including the Mayor of Kenema City, who described the Chief Justice’s appointment as one of the best decisions, citing his commitment to bringing justice closer to the people.

The sittings form part of efforts to extend judicial services beyond the capital and improve access to appellate proceedings for people across the country.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 11th November 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)