By Joseph Momoh, Reporter
Freetown, Sierra Leone – Chief Justice Komba Kamanda met with a delegation from Expertise France to reaffirm the Judiciary’s commitment to combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling. During the meeting, he highlighted significant initiatives aimed at enhancing the legal response to these issues.
The Chief Justice described the specialized training provided to Judges, Magistrates, and Lawyers focused on human trafficking, adoption, and related offenses. “Those trained judges and magistrates have cases on human trafficking and adoption exclusively assigned to them for determination,” he noted, emphasizing a structured approach to these critical concerns.
“These strategies implemented by the Judiciary have significantly reduced the rate of human trafficking and related offenses,” Chief Justice Kamanda stated.
Ms. Matilda Ngakui Pima, deputy head of Migration, Gender and Human Rights at Expertise France, shared the organization’s mission to enhance protections for victims of human trafficking and strengthen legal frameworks in partner nations. Her delegation’s visit aimed to understand the challenges faced by the judiciary in enforcing the Human Trafficking and Migration Smuggling Act of 2022.
Chief Justice Kamanda acknowledged the difficulties in securing victim cooperation within the criminal justice system, citing illegal compromises that hinder swift trials. He explained that while most criminal cases begin in Magistrate’s Courts, human trafficking cases are directly tried in the High Court due to their severity.
Despite the progress made, the Chief Justice admitted that limited resources pose challenges to the Judiciary’s effectiveness in combating human trafficking. “My institution has limited resources, which hinders our capacity to comprehensively address these issues,” he explained.
Madam Ngakui Pima recognized these challenges and reiterated her organization’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone. She referred to the visit as a fact-finding mission that could lead to Sierra Leone’s inclusion in a regional project focused on fighting human trafficking. She described the judiciary’s current strategy as “very ambitious” and stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to tackle the issue effectively.
In closing, Chief Justice Kamanda reiterated the Judiciary’s dedication to combating human trafficking, noting that collaborative efforts with various stakeholders, including the Sierra Leone Police and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Children’s Affairs, have been vital in reducing related crime rates. He also announced plans for a strategic public campaign aimed at uncovering the safe havens used by traffickers and their accomplices.
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