By Emperor Bailor Jalloh Journalist in Freetown
Ask for the truth and you may not like what you hear. Look for the truth and you may be shocked by what you see. Speak the truth and people may not believe you. But if you choose to ignore the truth, all you will be left with are lies.
The Sierra Leone Judiciary has been at the centre of Reformation and Rebranding under the leadership of the current Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards in a bid to ensure justice dispensation in a democratic legal system such as expediting court trials, deployment of resident Magistrates across the country, fair court trials of opposition politicians, creation of the Sexual Offences Model Court and the Anti-Corruption Court, conduction of special criminal sessions across the country, the establishment of an official website for the Judiciary/digitalization, recruitment of qualified staff and women empowerment in the Judiciary and many more.
Despite the aforementioned achievements and positivity, other people are still judging the Sierra Leone Judiciary with Bias parameters, instead of Objective and National parameters. As there is no perfection in humanity likewise the Sierra Leone Judiciary but do not judge this state institution with Bias Parameter but with Objective and National Parameter in a democratic legal system. Welcoming website users to the official website of Sierra Leone Judiciary, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards expressed commitment to Justice Service Delivery in Sierra Leone. ” As you visit our website for information on our Courts or our wide-ranging resources, we do hope you would be able to use same to measure how far we have come to making our vision ” accessible, fair and expeditious justice for all in Sierra Leone a reality”. he stated.
Justice Edwards furthered that ” Ours is a job to settle matters of conflict peaceably between individuals. As the Bible assures us in Mathew 5:9, ” Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God”, we hope that this beatitude endears us to work with the zeal and zest to making the difference in the Justice Service Delivery “. Said, Chief Justice.
In a similar vein, the Director of Communications of the Sierra Leone Judiciary, Journalist Elkass Sannoh also showcased considerable achievements of the Sierra Leone Judiciary in three years in the office of Chief Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards. Director Sannoh, who was featured on African Young Voices ( AYV) Television in Freetown on Sunday outlined such achievements: First virtual court, a responsive website, more than ever before uploading court judgements on a daily basis www.judiciary.gov.sl, as well as cases assigned to Judges for adjudication, justice application to ensure effective service delivery in Magistrates’ Courts, recruitment of qualified staff to senior positions and for the first time with good salary increment, jobs to more women at senior management level among others.
Conclusively, do not judge the Sierra Leone Judiciary with Bias parameters but with Objective and National parameters.