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President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Maada Bio have paid tribute to the late Hon. Justice Nyawo Finda Matturi Jones, describing her as one of Sierra Leone’s most distinguished female legal figures whose contributions greatly impacted the judiciary and higher education sector.
The tribute was made public through a statement issued by the First Lady following the couple’s return from Kono District, where they paid their final respects to the late Court of Appeal judge, who passed away on 4 May 2026.
“Upon our return from Kono this morning, my husband the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, and I paid our last respects to the late Hon. Justice Nyawo Finda Matturi Jones, Justice of the Court of Appeal, who passed away on 4th May 2026,” Mrs. Bio stated.
According to the First Lady, the late Justice Jones was widely respected for breaking barriers for women in the legal profession in Kono District and across Sierra Leone. She stated that Justice Jones became the first female lawyer to graduate from Kono District and later rose to become the district’s first female judge.
Mrs. Bio further highlighted the late judge’s service to the country, noting that President Bio appointed her in December 2021 as Chairperson of the Judicial Tribunal set up to investigate allegations involving the Auditor General and Deputy Auditor General.
The statement also recalled Justice Jones’s appointment as the inaugural Chancellor of the Kono University of Science and Technology, a role that reflected her standing within the country’s academic and legal communities.
The First Lady said Justice Jones’s accomplishments brought pride to Nimikor Chiefdom and contributed significantly to the advancement of justice and higher education in Sierra Leone.
“Justice Jones’s achievements brought immense pride to Nimikor Chiefdom and made a lasting contribution to the advancement of justice and higher education in Sierra Leone,” Mrs. Bio said.
President Bio and the First Lady concluded by expressing condolences over her passing and prayed for the peaceful repose of her soul. “May her soul rest in perfect peace,” the statement concluded.
