By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law-Sierra Leone (CARL-SL) and the Justice Sector Coordination Office (JSCO), funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), successfully wrapped up a Two-Day Stakeholders Retreat on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. The retreat, held at Sierra Palms Hotel, Beach Road, Aberdeen, Freetown, involved members of the Legislative Committee, along with other Members of Parliament, focusing on the Draft Criminal Procedure Bill, 2023.
Ibrahim Tommy, the Executive Director of CARL-SL, highlighted the lengthy process of reviewing the Criminal Procedure Act 1965, which has been in progress since 2005, stating that significant strides have been made in the past year, with collective efforts aimed at enacting the revised Criminal Procedure Bill.
He said that the Stakeholders’ Retreat provided an opportunity for Legislative Committee members and other Parliamentarians to preview the Criminal Procedure Bill before its formal introduction in Parliament as participants examined proposed provisions in the Bill, fostering a better understanding, furthering that comments or objections raised during the retreat will be conveyed to the Law Officers Department, who will then respond or incorporate them into the final Bill presented in Parliament.
Ibrahim Tommy noted that the proposed provisions include changes to enhance the efficiency of trials adding that the Bill suggests two new sentencing options: suspended sentence and deferred sentence, offering alternatives to the traditional fine or imprisonment.
On his part, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley Esq expressed appreciation to UNDP and CARL-SL for their support. He commended Members of Parliament for their active participation, showcasing their commitment to the review process.
He emphasized the Government’s alignment with efforts to address challenges in the justice system.
While acknowledging the challenges in the justice sector, Tarawalley highlighted President Julius Maada Bio’s significant efforts in the last five years, reiterating the Government’s commitment to enacting the New Criminal Procedure Act, as it aligns to the Government’s efforts to address challenges that confront the country’s justice system in line with one of the pillars of the Government’s Big Five Changes that is Revamping the Public Service Architecture.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice maintained that the Two-Day Stakeholders Retreat aimed to facilitate the review of the draft Criminal Procedure Act, enabling meaningful input from participants before formal Parliamentary introduction.
He assured that the Government plans to pass the Bill into law by the end of the year, coordinating with various stakeholders to ensure a participatory process. The ongoing review seeks to align the Criminal Procedure Act 1965 and the Criminal Justice Service with the country’s constitution and international best practices, ensuring accessible, fair, speedy and transparent justice.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice pointed out that once enacted, the law is expected to enhance access to justice, simplify and make the process fairer and respond to the justice needs of all citizens, including those with disabilities.
