By Saidu Jalloh, Staff Reporter
Chief Justice Komba Kamanda has become the first Sierra Leonean to chair the ECOWAS Judicial Council, hosting its inaugural Statutory Meeting in Freetown and marking a new level of regional influence for the country’s judiciary.
The meeting, held Saturday, April 26, at the Atlantic Hotel on Lumley Beach Road, brought together senior judges from across West Africa. Legal practitioners present said Kamanda’s leadership has “repositioned and elevated” Sierra Leone’s judiciary internationally, restoring its standing and visibility.
Widely regarded as the youngest Chief Justice in Sierra Leone’s history, Kamanda has, in just 18 months, rolled out reforms aimed at widening access to justice. He initiated the first decentralisation of Court of Appeal sittings to the provinces, taking appellate hearings outside Freetown and closer to litigants.
Under his tenure, a new Magistrate Court was established in Mile 91 with a resident magistrate assigned to the township, addressing a long-standing gap in local adjudication.
Kamanda also chairs the Council of Legal Education, where he oversees training and standards for legal practitioners nationwide.
On the international front, he was appointed to the roster of judges for the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, further extending his judicial profile beyond national borders.
In the drive against sexual and gender-based violence, Kamanda commissioned Sexual Offences Model Courts in Bo and Makeni. The specialised courts have been commended for improving case management and victim support in sensitive matters.
Senior lawyers at the ECOWAS meeting noted that the combination of domestic reform and regional engagement has brought renewed respect to the judiciary.
Kamanda’s chairmanship of the ECOWAS Judicial Council is seen as both a personal milestone and a signal of Sierra Leone’s growing role in West African judicial cooperation.
For more information contact Daily Scope Newspaper at dailyscopemedia@gmail.com
