On Tuesday 21st January 2025, the Coordinator of the Justice Sector Coordination Office (JSCO), Mr. Shahid M. Korjie paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Justice Komba Kamanda, at his Law Court office in Freetown.

During this visit, the Coordinator congratulated the Hon. Chief Justice on his appointment , which Mr. Korjie noted that it comes against the backdrop of Justice Kamanda’s years of experience and unwavering service to the nation. The Coordinator expressed confident in the leadership of the Hon. Chief Justice to advance the work of the judiciary. He further expressed his deep appreciation for the cooperation and support of the judiciary in achieving key justice sector reforms and strengthening access to justice for all citizens. The Coordinator observed that among the key areas of collaboration between the JSCO and the judiciary have been the judiciary’s leadership and support in championing the review process and eventual enactment of the new Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) 2024. This landmark legislation, he noted, represents a significant step towards modernising the criminal justice system. Mr Korjie expressed his delight to point out that, through the support of the UNDP, the judiciary further demonstrated its commitment to capacity building by facilitating the training of judges, magistrates, state counsel, police and correctional service officers, paralegals and social workers on the uniform application of the new Criminal Procedure Act 2024, ensuring consistency and fairness in judicial processes.

Mr Korjie praised the leadership of the current Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Alpha Sesay, under whose leadership the judiciary has been a key stakeholder in supporting the development of the Justice Sector Reform Strategy 2024-2030. This Strategy, according to the Coordinator, outlines a roadmap for justice sector reforms, with specific focus areas aligned to the judiciary’s mandate. Mr. Korjie concluded by reaffirming that under the leadership of the Hon. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the JSCO will further solidify its partnership with the judiciary in order to achieve the collective vision of a more efficient, accessible, and gender-responsive justice system.

In his remarks, the Hon. Chief Justice expressed his appreciation to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, noting they were class mates during their days at the University, and to the Coordinator of the JSCO. He described the JSCO as ‘the judiciary’s traditional development partner’. His Lordship expressed his gratitude for the continued collaboration and partnership with the Coordination Office, noting his participation, a couple of years ago, as a judge, in the awareness raising workshop on the ‘Bail and Sentencing Regulations’ that was facilitated by the JSCO. His Lordship highlighted few areas of reforms that his office would be delighted to collaborate on, to include the digitisation and automation of court records and communications and the deployment of court room technology, among others. The Hon. Chief Justice affirmed his commitment to collaborate with the JSCO, in the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in achieving a shared objective of ensuring that there is equal access to justice for all.