The Approve School Community Advisory Bureau (CAB), one of the satellite offices of the Legal Aid Board in the Western Area on March 11 2019 presented a progress report to the management of the Legal Aid Board in Freetown.
A volunteer with the Bureau, Mohamed Kekura Turay stated that they have mediated 159 civil matters from November 2017 to January 2019. This includes debts, family disputes, child maintenance, wife maintenance, landlord and tenant and community level disputes. He noted that some of the matters have been referred to the Bureau by the Police.
In addition, they have recovered Le24,500,000 (twenty-four million, five hundred thousand Leones) in debts settlement and payment towards child and wife maintenance.
Mr. Turay outlined the challenges facing the Bureau as follows: lack of allowance for volunteers, office stationery, ID Cards and petty cash to deliver invitation letters for mediation.
The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles drew attention to the allegations that have made against the Bureaus. “Some of these allege improprieties were reported to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and the Chair of the Legal Aid Board,” she said. “Honesty should be the guiding principle in the discharge of your responsibilities.”
She said the Board should be given time to convince the Government to provide support to the Bureaus. She added the Board will continue to provide some stationery to the Bureau. Also, the Board will be buying a machine for the printing of ID cards.
On a final note, she said that the Board will be having quarterly meetings with the Bureaus for updates and exchange of ideas.
