By Crispina Taylor
A Presidential nominee for Appeal Court judge says the Sierra Leonean judiciary requires improvement to enhance efficient justice delivery.
Justice Sheku Abdulai Fofana said that the judiciary needed to recruit more personnel because it "lacks man power."
Urging lawyers to be more time conscious, Justice Fofanah stated that there were bundles of cases lying in courts in the provinces "without
lawyers showing up." He also said that lack of witnesses had led to many delayed cases and that had resulted to detention of suspects for
more than the required periods.
Fofanah stated that a "rational system needs to be introduced for judges and magistrates" to send some of them to the provinces because
a lot of work was there to be done. He also urged government to help witnesses with transportation where they had to cover long distances
to access courts.
Justice Fofanah was answering questions in parliament on Monday on his perception about the current judicial system in the country.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon Chernor Bah warned that judges and magistrates needed to work on time and case management as
adjournments of some cases posed inconveniences for lawyers who had to appear for three or more cases per day.
© Politico 15/01/15
