By Francis H. Murray
The judiciary of Sierra Leone has announced a couple of measures aimed at combating the spread of the Corona Virus pandemic ahead of the commencement of the general court sessions across the country.
Sittings at both Magistrate and High Court levels start today Monday. The new court calendar follows the end of the criminal sessions nationwide.
In a press release issued on the 30th September 2020, the Master and Registrar of the High Court noted that all existing protocols regarding the containment of the COVID 19 pandemic remain in force.
‘‘Take note that we are still working on containing the Corona virus, therefore all protocols put in place in the court in terms of social distancing, wearing of facemasks, and number of persons permitted into the court etc. remain the same,’’ the release noted.
The new measures range from carrying out of temperature tests on all persons entering the courts, to use of facemasks by persons standing trial and observing social distancing.
The new measures preclude anyone who is not a witness or a litigant to have access to the court facilities and further make the use of facemasks compulsory, at all times in court.
‘‘It is now compulsory to have a facemask before entering any of our court premises or facilities. Litigants and witnesses will not be allowed to access our facilities without facemasks, the release added.
Judges and Magistrates have also been encouraged to be strict in ensuring compliance with social distancing, the use of facemask and for litigants to observe the one-meter distancing rule.
The compliance to the new measures is to be enforced by the Inspector General of Police in order to ensure strict compliance within all the court facilities.
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