By Millicent Senava Mannah
A lawsuit filed by the All Peoples Congress (APC) against the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) and presided over by Justice Adrian Fisher, was on the 5th July, 2023 dismissed by the High Court of Justice.
The case was heard at Court No. 1 located in the Main Law Courts Building in Freetown. The lawsuit was initiated by APC on June 7, 2023, with the hearing scheduled for the morning of July 5. However, the APC and their legal representation failed to make an appearance in court, leading to the dismissal of the case.
In a development that added insult to injury for the APC, Justice Fisher also ordered the party to pay the legal costs associated with the case, citing them as wasted costs.
The full judgment, bearing the citation number Misc. App. 116/23 A6 Division, was officially handed down by Justice Fisher, with copies made available for public perusal.
The APC had filed the suit seeking several orders from the court, mostly centered around the Public Elections Act No 17 of 2022. Specifically, they sought an order to quash all regulations, manual rules, and procedures that were inconsistent with several sections of the Act. They also requested an order of mandamus directing the ECSL to provide the APC with the national register of voters, which the ECSL had promised to release.
The dismissed case was supported by affidavits filed by Lansana Dumbuya and Dr. Richard Konteh, complete with ten exhibits attached. The failure of the APC and its legal team to appear in court led to their requests being struck out.
