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From the Special Court for Sierra Leone to The Hague, here are key facts about the distinguished jurist, Judge Miatta Maria Samba, making her mark on international justice.
1. She is a Sierra Leonean Judge at the International Criminal Court
Judge Miatta Maria Samba is a current Judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. She was elected in December 2020 and assumed office on 11 March 2021 for a nine-year term. She is the first Sierra Leonean to hold this position.
2. She Rose Through Sierra Leone’s Judiciary
Before her appointment to the ICC, Judge Samba held senior judicial positions in Sierra Leone. She served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone in 2021, a Judge of the Court of Appeal from 2019, and a Judge of the High Court from 2015 to 2019. In these roles, she adjudicated complex criminal cases, including those involving corruption, theft, and sexual violence.
3. She Has Deep Experience in International Criminal Justice
Judge Samba’s international career spans over two decades. She began as a lawyer for the prosecution at the Special Court for Sierra Leone from 2002 to 2006, working on cases concerning crimes during the civil war. From 2006 to 2010, she served as a Field Operations Officer with the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor in Uganda. She was also a judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, which succeeded the Special Court.
4. She Has Strong Academic Credentials
Judge Samba holds a Bachelor of Laws from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. She also earned two Master of Laws degrees: one in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria in 2001, and another in Petroleum Law and Policy from the University of Dundee in Scotland. She has been a lecturer in Criminal Law at Fourah Bay College since 2003.
5. She is a Champion Against Corruption and for Gender Justice
Before becoming a judge, Judge Samba served as a Senior Prosecutor for the Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone in two stints (2010-2012 and 2014-2015). She has delivered groundbreaking judgments on sexual violence against children in domestic courts and represented victims of sexual offences on a pro bono basis. She also chairs the Legal Aid Board in Sierra Leone.
6. She Believes in Putting Sierra Leone on the Map
Upon her swearing-in at the ICC, Judge Samba stated, “I feel very proud and elated to be one of the judges of the first permanent Criminal Court. I am particularly happy to put Sierra Leone on the map“. She also serves as a role model for women, noting that half of the judges at the ICC are women, showing “women are making headway”.
