The Judiciary of Sierra Leone with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has commenced a four-day Prison Court exercise aimed at fast-tracking cases which have stalled for one reason or the other in the criminal justice system.
To carry out this exercise, the Acting Chief Justice, His Lordship Hon. Justice N. C. Browne-Marke has assigned eight judges to ten different locations across the country with a mandate to expeditiously look into the cases of inmates by going into the Correctional Centres and going through the list in each Centre of all those awaiting trial, seeking to find out the reason or reasons for the delay in their cases being heard or progressing.
The judges are also mandated to review the convictions of inmates convicted by Magistrate’s Courts across the country to ascertain whether the Magistrate exceeded their sentencing powers.
The Prison Court will also look into the cases of inmates who have been detained beyond the maximum setence for the offence for which they are detained, prolonged adjournments and those inmates awaiting trial but without indictments.
The Prison Court will be held in Kono, Port Loko, Kabala, Bo, Kenema, Pujehun, Makeni, Magburaka, Moyamba, Bonthe, Kailahun, Kambia and in the Western Area.
It is estimated that more than eight hundred (800) inmates who are at various Correctional Centres will be able to access fair and expeditious trial.
It should be noted that this year’s Prison Courts which will run throughout this week, has been extended to Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Kabala, Magburaka, Kambia, Port Loko, Moyamba.
The assigned judges include Hon. Justice Monfred Sesay (JA), Hon. Justice Abdul Sheriff (J) Hon. Justice Adrian Fisher (J) Hon. Albert. Moody (J), Hon. Justice A. Sannoh (J), Hon. Justice A. T. Mansaray and Hon. Justice Mohamed Bawoh and Hon. Justice Banks-Kamara.
Credit: Judiciary of Sierra Leone Communications
