Judiciary of Sierra Leone Communications, Chief Justice’s Chambers, Siaka Stevens Street, Freetown, 8th April, 2025: The Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Lordship Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda has assured the Advisory Board of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of expeditious handling of all corruption related matters in the interest of justice.
The Chief Justice during a courtesy call on him said his attention has been drawn to reports of delay with some matters, which he said could not be unconnected to the limited number of judges and the need to spread out that limited number across the eight divisions of the High Court.
He stressed on the importance of case closure, especially in criminal matters and assured that he would review all pending cases to identify obstacles and facilitate their prompt resolution.
The chairman of the Advisory Board of the ACC, Prince Goba, congratulated the Hon. Chief Justice on his appointment, describing the Board as a “salad bowl,” representing diverse expertise and people from various backgrounds.
He explained that the Board holds monthly meetings where pending cases are reviewed, adding that as part of their oversight function, they decided to engage the Chief Justice with a report on pending cases presented to him for review.
Deputy Commissioner of the ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie thanked the Chief Justice for making time to meet with the Board in what he described as a briefing session between the two institutions.
He said the role of the Board is to provide guidance to the Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission and to complement the work of the Judiciary, conveying the Board’s interest in engaging with strategic partners including the judiciary to address key concerns.
The Board members drew the Chief Justice’s attention to the prolonged duration of certain cases, with some remaining unresolved for a considerable period of time and appealed that those set of cases be expeditiously dealt with in the interest of justice.
The Board also requested consideration for its members to be appointed as Justices of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths, clarifying that their roles do not involve the day-to-day administration of the ACC.
Responding to the concerns, the Hon. Chief Justice thanked the Board for the update on cases and reaffirmed Judiciary’s commitment to ensuring the timely resolution of cases, recognizing the impact of delays on justice delivery. Regarding the request for appointment as Commissioner for Oaths and Justices of the Peace, the Chief Justice stated that the request was a reasonable one and assured the Board that he would consider it.
He further encouraged the Board to communicate any challenges they face with the court so that the Judiciary can judiciously address them.
He thanked the Board for the frank engagement and assured of Judiciary’s commitment to maintaining a strong and productive relationship with the Anti-Corruption Commission.
