By Amin Kef-Ranger
Honourable Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi has been officially appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, following approval by President Dr. Julius Maada Bio. Her elevation comes on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) and marks a significant milestone in a distinguished legal career that has spanned over twenty years.
Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi brings to the Supreme Court a wealth of legal expertise gained from both national and international platforms. She ascends to the apex court having served previously as a High Court Judge and more recently as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Her judicial career has been widely lauded for its integrity, dedication to justice and commitment to upholding the rule of law.
She was called to the English Bar 24 years ago at the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple and to the Sierra Leone Bar nearly 22 years ago. She is an alumna of the University of Surrey’s Roehampton Institute (BA Hons. in Education and Sociology), Middlesex University (Postgraduate Diploma in Law) and the University of Liverpool (LLM in International Finance and Banking Law).
Her early education began at St. Ann’s Primary School and St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Freetown, before continuing her studies in the United Kingdom. She held key roles in the UK’s Parole Board and Home Office before returning to Sierra Leone in 2002.
Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi has extensive experience in both private and public legal practice. She worked with renowned law firms in Freetown, served as a State Prosecutor at the Law Officers’ Department and was an Independent Prosecutor and Investigator at the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Her legal acumen extended into the banking sector, where she held senior management roles at Guaranty Trust Bank (SL) Ltd and led the Legal Affairs Department of the Financial Intelligence Unit.
Appointed to the High Court in 2015, she served across various divisions, including Commercial, Criminal, Civil and Anti-Corruption, before her promotion to the Court of Appeal in 2020. Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi is also an academic, lecturing in Professional Ethics and Commercial Law at the Sierra Leone Law School.
Throughout her career, Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi has played pivotal roles in legal reform and judicial administration. She has served on several key committees within the Judiciary, including the Rules of Court Committee, the Integrity Management Committee and the Judicial and Legal Training Institute.
She is a former Vice President of both the Sierra Leone Bar Association and L.A.W.Y.E.R.S., a female lawyers’ organization advocating for women’s rights. Her work in championing social justice, especially for women and girls, has earned her numerous accolades.
In 2021, she was awarded by the Women’s Forum of Sierra Leone for her contribution to justice and women’s empowerment. In 2022, she made history by becoming the first African and first Sierra Leonean to be Called to the Bench of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple Inn, one of England and Wales’ prestigious Inns of Court.
Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi’s appointment is widely seen as a testament to her unwavering commitment to judicial excellence and public service. As she assumes her new role at the Supreme Court, expectations are high that she will continue to deliver fair and principled judgments that reinforce the integrity of Sierra Leone’s judiciary.
Her appointment further reflects President Bio’s continued efforts to strengthen judicial independence and enhance legal institutions across the country.
