Welcome to the 56th edition of The Monitor, a monthly publication of the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL). This publication discusses critical national issues relating to justice, accountability, rule of law, and general governance issues. In particular, it chronicles observations and analysis from our Court Monitors who sit in various formal and informal courtrooms every week day across the country to observe if court officials adhere to procedural and substantive legal standards. This newsletter, The Monitor, gives us an opportunity to share our observations and thoughts on the anomalies and/or improvements in the justice sector.
Hon. Steve Gaojia, Min of Gender and Children’s Affairs
It is used as an informational and advocacy tool for policy makers, law enforcement and justice officers, members of the international community, funding partners, and members of the public as a whole. As we commemorate the 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children, the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL) wishes to once again remind law enforcement and justice officers about the need to scale up efforts at combating sexual and gender based violence. While public education programmes are important in raising community awareness about the negative effects of violence on women and children, CARL believes that it is only when perpetrators are arrested and brought before a credible system of justice that Sierra Leone can genuinely begin to combat the scourge of violence against women and children. For far too long, the women and children of this country have suffered in silence. They arguably bore the heaviest brunt of the country’s civil war as they were raped, subjected to forceful marriage, used as combatants, and forced to carry ammunition for various warring factions.
The end of the war was expected to provide respite for them. Unfortunately, they are still exposed to some of the worst abuses, including rape, beating, economic deprivation, among others. It is a shame that many local chiefs and law enforcement officers still enable out-of-court settlements for sexual and gender-based crimes. Female genital mutilation of girls below the age of 18 years continues to happen with impunity. CARL believes that Sierra Leoneans cannot wish these challenges away. Concrete, genuine and realistic action is required of all, particularly law enforcement and justice officers, who have a statutory responsibility to enforce accountability in the country.
CARL also welcomes the indictments of ten persons* by the Anti-Corruption Commission, including the mayor of the Freetown City Council, for various corruption-related offences. CARL notes that the indictments remind Sierra Leoneans about the devastating effects of collusion between public officials and private individuals in corrupt ventures on the country. The indictments also remind us about the extensive powers of the Anti-Corruption Commission, and urges the ACC to use its powers at all times, regardless of the status of persons involved. While we also commend the ACC for its systems and process review project, we believe that there are gaps relating to effective monitoring of the implementation of its recommendations. We also urge the Commission to complete the project as soon as it possibly can, and ensure that it provides regular updates on specific success stories arising from the project.
Once again, CARL believes that Sierra Leone has got no reason to have a death penalty clause on its statute books. We urge the president to back up his stated commitment to human rights by working with legal and legislative bodies to repeal death penalty. It’s a cruel form of punishment that does not belong to this century. We have to bring our laws in line with the civility of the 21st century.
Furthermore, while CARL believes that considerable improvements have been made in terms of promoting civil and political rights in the country, CARL notes that the country has generally failed in creating the space for citizens to achieve their social and economic aspirations. Sierra Leone’s poverty levels are frightening. While there will always be poor people, there are no excuses for failing to undertake credible and realistic programmes to ameliorate the plight of the millions of poor people in the country. Socio-economic rights are human rights!
Finally, we urge the Chief Justice to assign more Magistrates to the country’s judicial districts, particularly to the Bomabli and Koinadugu Districts, which still have only one Magistrate. This state of affairs undermines the delivery of credible and timely justice, and also infringes on the rights of detainees. CARL also urges the Chief Justice to ensure that more interpreters are assigned to the Magistrate Courts in the country, particularly the Kenema Magistrate Court, where most litigants require interpretation services.
*The ACC has dropped all charges against one of the indictees.
Last Updated on Thursday, 16 February 2012 02:13
