By Kemo Cham
Barely a year after a major scandal raised questions about its credibility, the Sierra Leone Law School is again on the spotlight. This time the institution is confronted with allegations of favoritism in its admission procedure.
A group of over 50 rejected candidates for the 2014/2015 intake has accused the authorities and some highly placed people with influence over the legal profession of being “on a crusade” of nepotism. They alleged a plot to keep a particular class of society out of the profession. The rejected students say they were refused admission despite having all the requirements.
The law school is a college specializing in legal education, through which aspiring lawyers must go for a period of tutoring before being called to the bar.
In the Sierra Leone Law School, potential candidates are required, as per information obtained from officials of the school`s administration, to have a minimum of a 3rd Class degree in law, plus passes in six core courses.
The rejected students, at a press conference on Monday, said they`d been told that they`d failed in at least one of the core modules, that they did not attain the required law degree (LLB), and a few of them who studied abroad did not meet a particular core muddle relevant to the country.
They disputed all these and made an avalanche of allegations directed mainly at some unnamed people well positioned to influence the decision of who becomes a lawyer in Sierra Leone.
“We have been very diplomatic. We have been patient enough….but all [of that] seemingly has proven futile,” said Peter Taplima Mansaray, who chaired the press briefing held at the conference hall of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists.
The aggrieved students were also critical of Justice Minister Franklyn Bai Kargbo who they said in fact provoked their present reaction.
According to them, the Attorney General appeared indifferent to their situation when confronted recently with the issue in a radio interview. The minister was alleged to have said that not everyone who applied was expected to be admitted, in response to a question about his position on the matter.
Kargbo also allegedly said he didn’t meet with the aggrieved students because he didn’t want to associate with the issue.
The rejected students said the minister should know better, having refused to give them audience. They have even demanded that he issued an apology. They also said that his statement and action undermined democracy.
Protest threats
Monday`s press conference was attended by some representatives of Civil society organizations who expressed support for their “fellow youths”. They reminded authorities of the post-1991-2002 civil war Truth and Reconciliation Commission report cautioning on the effect of depriving young people of their rights.
Morlai Conte, Chairman of the National Youth Coalition, accused Justice Minister Kargbo of habitually putting the country in a situation that left citizens “dumbfounded,” and called on him to apologise for his latest controversial statement.
David Sesay, President of the Bike Riders` Union, gave President Ernest Bai Koroma 14 days to settle the matter, while Alphonso Manley, chairman of the Civil Society Forum, said the government must endeavor to address the issue within 21 days.
“This is injustice and we cannot sit and allow injustice to happen,” said Manley, vowing to stage a protest march if after 21 days the decision wasn’t reversed.
A representative from the Human Rights Commission, Ishmail Bayoh, said education was a fundamental human rights issue and that Sierra Leone, as signatory to all related major global rights instruments, must live up to expectations.
But the Sierra Leone Law School refutes all the claims of the aggrieved students.
Ms Pamela Davies, Assistant Director of the institute, said they had no reason not to admit anyone other than their failure to satisfy the minimum requirements.
“I can categorically state that those who have failed most have failed one or more of the six core modules,” she told Politico.
Independent Committee
Last year, the Sierra Leone Law School was embroiled in a similar scandal after some students challenged their exams result which prevented them from being called to the bar. But they were eventually allowed to retake the exams following an investigation.
The school has also been on the spotlight for alleged corruption which has seen a former Registrar indicted by the Anti Corruption Commission.
The rejected students come from both the University of Sierra Leone and other schools abroad. Ms Davies said three of them were from abroad. She did not say which country, nor did she mention their nationality. Other sources said there is at least a Cameroonian among them.
The problem stemmed from a 2012 decision by the school authorities to raise the bar in terms of admission requirements. That apparently occasioned an automatic disqualification for some of the rejected students, who challenged it, leading to its reversal.
The students were eventually invited for an interview. But only four of them were successful, according to Mrs Davies.
But, speaking to Politico, the Assistant Director insisted that the outcome of the interview was the fairest that could have come out of it.
Among the students demands is that President Koroma set up an independent committee to look into their concerns.
Thomas Moore Conteh, who presented a position paper on behalf of his colleagues, said they were determined to push on, peacefully, until their voices were heard.
“It must be noted that even a saint, when pushed to the wall, has the proclivity to bounce back,” he warned.
The students fear that if they keep quiet on the issue they are bound to be forgotten.
All they wanted was for their case to be heard, said Mansaray.
“Let the court of justice - the people - decide whether we are right or wrong,” he added.
Some of the students have spent 8 years, and some a little longer, to get to the Law School.
They say this situation has had far reaching psychological implication on them, coming along with the stigma of rejection. Three of their colleagues, they claimed, had died during the last seven months.
“They died as a result of the stress associated with the stigma,” said Mansaray, noting that six other colleagues were in hospital struggling for their lives.
(C) Politico 26/08/15
