By Janet A. Sesay
At Mafanta Correctional Centre in Bombali district, North of Sierra Leone, Supreme Court Judge, Alusine Sesay has freed 44 convicts who were serving jail terms for various offences.
The freed convicts were among 104 whose cases were reviewed by the court. The Prison Courts session reviews cases that have been presided over by magistrates to see if their decisions are consistent with the laws.
During the review, Justice Sesay reduced the years of imprisonment for some convicts and released others since they had completed their jail terms. The exercise also looks into other issues such as prolonged adjournments, bail review and sentencing among others.
In his opening remarks, Justice Sesay said the main duty of the Prison Court was to review cases and not to convict. The exercise, he went on, was part of an ongoing effort to increase access to and ensure fairness in the criminal justice system.
Out of 104 cases, 17 are from Freetown, 4 from Sefadu, seventy-five 75 from Makeni, six 6 from Kabala, 1 from Waterloo and 1 from Magburaka. The convicts were represented by Legal Aid lawyers, Korie and Kamara.
As part of the reforms, the Judiciary has completed the Judicial Week with 802 cases dealt with by 23 Judges. The Judicial Week was to clear backlog of cases, a move supported by UNDP.
The Prison Courts have received commendations for putting smiles on the faces of freed convicts who showered praises on Chief Justice, Desmond Babatunde Edwards and team for the unprecedented reforms and increased access to Justice.