By Theresa Kef Sesay
In order to adjudicate cases that emerged during the recently spate of violence incidents across the country the Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Justice Babatunde Edwards, has stated that the High Court will open on Monday, May 18.
The latest move came after President Julius Maada Bio said in his broadcast address on the 8th May 2020 that, “there had been unrelenting barrage of attacks against the State, State officials, public, private persons and properties.”
The President later made an appeal to the Chief Justice to consider appropriate measures to adjudicate the cases that emerged from the “widespread insecurity.”
In response, the Chief Justice said with effect from Monday 18th, May 2020, “the May criminal sessions of High Court will commence in Freetown, Makeni, Bo, Kenema and Kono.”
He added that “To contain the spread of COVID-19, only a limited number of persons will be allowed to attend Court sittings at any specific time.
Justice Edwards says “all other protocols which had been put in place in the High Court, in terms of Social Distancing, Wearing of Face Marks, Number of persons permitted into Court rooms etc, remain in place.”
He had earlier on said that “Magistrate Courts No.1 and 2 on Pademba Road and Ross Road and other big Magistrates Court nationwide should hold not more than 20 persons, inclusive of lawyers and litigants.
Justice Edwards said “Smaller Magistrate Courts nationwide should hold no more than 10 persons at any given time.” He furthered that “in all Civil and Criminal proceedings, High Court which has a capacity of hosting 200 persons each, should not accommodate more than 40 persons, including judges, lawyers and litigants.”
He emphasized that High Courts No. 3, 4, 5 & 6 (Anti-Corruption Courts) must not hold more than 15 persons during proceedings and also its High Courts (No. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13) should only take in 10 persons.
