SLPP’s Pledge to Improve Governance: Has the Party Delivered?
By the Sierra Leone Live Team.
Part IV of the 2018 SLPP Manifesto emphasizes the party’s commitment to advancing the rule of law and promoting justice and human rights in order to enhance governance. Sierra Leone Live will look into whether the SLPP has accomplished the goals outlined in its manifesto as the country approaches the elections on June 24, 2023.
The judiciary in Sierra Leone received harsh criticism from the previous APC administration because of claims of executive branch constitutional violations and a sharp decline in public trust in the legal system. In order to restore public confidence and assure independence and impartiality, the SLPP’s New Direction sought to completely restructure the judicial system and the way justice was delivered.
Poor service delivery, limited access to justice, insufficient resource allocation, staffing shortages, and capacity restrictions are some of the major issues mentioned in the manifesto.
The SLPP’s proposed actions to address these challenges include:
- A new justice and rule of law system for Sierra Leone in the twenty-first century is one solution put out by the SLPP, along with increased budgetary support for the judicial sector.
- Introducing legislation that will strengthen the justice system’s independence and increase access to justice.
- Educating paralegals to support the industry in rural areas where access to attorneys is scarce.
- Enhancing and expanding the Legal Aid Program’s capacity to better serve persons in need of legal help.
- Encouraging social interaction with the Sierra Leone Bar Association to improve the provision of justice.
- Enhancing the Judicial Service Commission to operate an impartial judicial system effectively and bring it up to international standards.
- Establishing a productive collaboration between the justice system and civil society.
- The Law Reform Commission should be strengthened and given adequate funding.
- Creating specialized human rights courts inside the legal system and enforcing a bail and sentencing policy based on human rights.
- Asking the Commonwealth for technological support to improve the justice system.
- Reviewing legal education and advocating for actions to create a reliable, impartial, and efficient system for regulating legal education and practice in Sierra Leone.
- Separating the positions of Attorney-General from Minister of Justice.
Sierra Leone Live will look at how the SLPP is doing with these programs and projects as the elections get closer. The investigation will determine how effectively the party has improved governance, advanced the rule of law, pushed for justice, and protected human rights.
It is crucial to remember that assessing the SLPP’s success in this area requires considering all facets of the justice system, including institutions, legislation, and service delivery. The study must also consider the party’s working environment in terms of politics, society, and the economy.
The public will receive the facts they require to cast an informed vote in the coming weeks from Sierra Leone Live’s balanced report on the SLPP’s advancements in enhancing justice and governance.
The research will show if the SLPP has fulfilled its manifesto commitment to advance the rule of law, advance justice, and protect human rights in Sierra Leone by looking at the party’s accomplishments and faults.
