FREETOWN — The Judiciary of Sierra Leone has officially placed Honourable Justice Mohamed Momoh Jah-Stevens of the Court of Appeal on immediate administrative leave, according to a press release issued 29 September 2025.
The move follows a series of media reports that, the Judiciary says, threaten to undermine its public reputation.
In the statement, the Judiciary said the reports in question are viewed as potentially harmful to its image and may compromise public confidence in the legal system. To ensure fairness and protect the integrity of ongoing proceedings, the Chief Justice ordered the leave as an interim safeguard.
The case has now been referred to the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC), which will conduct a formal review of the matter. The Commission will determine what actions are appropriate in line with its mandate.
The Judiciary affirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and upholding the highest professional standards.
Background of the Dispute Between Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens and Edwina Hawa Jamiru
In late 2024, Jamiru publicly accused Justice Stevens of engaging in a romantic relationship with her, impregnating her, and then abandoning her and their (unborn) child. She claimed the relationship involved emotional trust, but that she was exploited under the pretense of being in a committed relationship.
She said she believed that, due to his position and perceived character, he would behave responsibly, but that he instead allegedly used the relationship for his own sexual gratification.
In September 2025, Justice Stevens filed a domestic violence case against Jamiru. He accused her of assault and intimidation at his home on 27 August 2025 in Kowa Drive, Mothormeh Regent.
The charges are under Section 2(1) of the Domestic Violence Act of 2007, with three counts.
When the matter was first brought before court, Jamiru did not appear and a bench warrant was issued. She was later arrested and remanded.
Legal Proceedings & Public Attention
* The case is being heard at Pademba Road Court No. 3, before Magistrate Mamakoh Saio Kallon.
* It has drawn public and media scrutiny, in part because of Justice Stevens’s high position in the judiciary and because it involves allegations both of domestic violence and of sexual exploitation/abandonment.
