By Esther Wright
Forty Seven (47) inmates, who were incarcerated for various offences, have been discharged by six Judges of the Superior Court of Judicature presiding over cases at the main Law Courts building in Freetown during the ongoing Judicial Week.
Among the 26 Judges deployed by the Honorable Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards across the country to review a total of 1,013 cases are Hon. Justices Jamesina King, Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens, Komba Kamanda, Monfred Sesay, Ansumana Ivan Sesay and High Court Judge, Hon. Justice Adrian J. Fisher.
Out of a total number of one thousand and thirteen (1,013), 111 of these inmates had been incarcerated awaiting trial without indictments; 138 on prolonged adjournments due to lack of empanelled jurors, 181 on bail but unable to fulfill their bail conditions to secure their release, 47 were serving unjustifiable and disproportionate sentences from Magistrates with no Summary Review application in their favour and 532 were incarcerated with no admission to bail for possible bailable offences.
The discharged persons were before the Courts for various offences ranging from wounding with intent, murder, robbery, conspiracy, fraudulent conversion and sexual penetration among others.
With support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Judicial Week is financed by the Government of Sierra Leone.
The Judicial Week continues till Friday, 4th February 2020 with more cases to be reviewed and decided in the interest of justice and fair trial.
