By Emma Black
His Lordship, the Honourable Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Justice Komba Kamanda, has continued to make strides in strengthening judicial collaboration and reforms both regionally and internationally.
Earlier, on 22 September 2025, Chief Justice Kamanda attended the 20th Triennial Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges’ Association (CMJA) Conference in The Gambia. Themed “Combating Corruption and Promoting Accountability in the Judicial Sector, the conference brought together Chief Justices and judicial leaders from 54 Commonwealth countries.
Speaking on the importance of the conference, Chief Justice Kamanda emphasized that the exchange of best practices, judicial reforms, and strategies for tackling corruption and case backlogs would enhance Sierra Leone’s judicial independence and capacity. “The knowledge and experiences shared at the CMJA Conference will contribute to ongoing reforms and capacity-building under my watch. Justice must not only be done, but seen to be done”, he stated.
Following his engagement at the CMJA, Chief Justice Kamanda assumed his role as Chairman of the ECOWAS Judicial Council, unveiling an ambitious reform agenda aimed at modernizing the Council’s operations. On 2 October 2025, during the official opening of the 2025/2026 Judicial Year by the ECOWAS Court, he spoke on the theme The ECOWAS Court and International Law: Expanding Access and Navigating Contemporary Challenges.
His reform priorities include revising procedural rules, fully activating the Council’s arbitration mandate, and exploring the creation of a regional Appellate Court. Chief Justice Kamanda highlighted the importance of closer collaboration between the ECOWAS Court of Justice and the ECOWAS Judicial Council to ensure efficiency, consistency, and wider access to justice across West Africa.
Describing the opening of the Judicial Year as historic and symbolic, he urged judicial officers to adopt innovative approaches to make justice more accessible, cost-effective, and user-friendly. “The judiciary must remain a cornerstone of stability and democracy in West Africa”, he affirmed.
The Sierra Leonean delegation to the ECOWAS ceremony included Justices Mangeh Fana Deen Tarawally (JSC), Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi (JSC), Tonia Barnett (JA), and Khalila Diana Kamara (J). Chief Justice Kamanda also expressed gratitude to the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Honourable Justice Ricardo C.M. Gonçalves, and the President of Cape Verde, His Excellency José Maria Pereira Neves, for their support in the successful launch of the Legal Year.
The Chief Justice’s dual engagements underscore Sierra Leone’s commitment to judicial excellence, regional cooperation, and the promotion of rule-of-law principles on both continental and global stages.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 6th October 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
