The Chief Justice of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, Babatunde Edwards, has revealed that 3,188 new cases were assigned to 36 judges for the last judicial year starting 15th September 2018 to 15th July 2019. The official opening of the High Court Criminal Session was held at the Siaka Stevens Street High Court in Freetown on Tuesday 17th September 2019. The Chief Justice said out of 3,188 cases, 1,683 cases were completed. This represents 53% of the cases before the High Court. Chief Justice Edwards said this week has been declared, “judicial week”. During this period, the Prison Court, which will sit at the Siaka Stevens Street Court building, will review close to 800 inmates on remand.
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The categories of inmates include: those without indictments; those on prolonged adjournment due to absence of jurors or whose files were not assigned to a judge; and those on ‘judgment reserved” (awaiting final judgment). The essence of the Prison Court, according to the Public Relations Officer of the Judiciary, Moses Lamin Kamara, is to look at the human rights aspects of the inmates with reference to Section 23(1-4) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991. Meanwhile the High Court will continue their roll call on the calendar of accused committed for trial at the September 2019 criminal session. 158 new cases will be seen by the call over Judge this week.
EBD/17/9/19
By Edna Browne-Dauphine
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