Sierra Leone’s Chief Justice, His Lordship Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda, has on Thursday, 3rd April, 2025 officially inaugurated the Judiciary’s ultramodern library, featuring E-Library resources, at the main Law Court Building in Freetown.

The project, financed by the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, is reportedly aimed to providing essential resources for judicial officers, enabling them to improve their research capabilities and adapt to modern trends in the legal profession.

“When I was appointed by His Excellency Rtd. Brigadier Dr Julius Maada Bio, I made a commitment to lead this institution by bringing innovations all in the interest of justice. Today, we have a manual and an e-library first in the history of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone,” Justice Kamanda stated, indicating plans to replicate the library in other provincial towns if funding allows.

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Justice Kamanda expressed concern about the lack of library, noting that its absence posed challenges to judicial officers who rely on research and additional reading in their roles. The new facility will reportedly be accessible to judges, lawyers, scholars, students, and other researchers. Equipped with a CCTV camera system, a giant photocopier to safeguard important materials, and free internet access, the library is said to have been designed to strengthen the justice system.

The Chief Justice extended gratitude to the government of Sierra Leone, Pro Bono UK, and judicial staff for their support in making the library a reality.

Solicitor General Robert Kowa, representing the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, remarked that the library signifies the commencement of a new chapter in legal practice within the country. “The traditional form of library is for everyone and not just for those who can afford the luxuries of the internet,” Kowa noted, highlighting the library’s role in expanding reading choices and strengthening the legal community.

Furthermore, Kowa shared that efforts are underway to establish the Law Reporting Council, which he said will certify and authenticate law reporting in Sierra Leone, enhancing resource materials for legal libraries.

Tuma Adama Gento-Kamara, President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, praised Justice Kamanda and the Judiciary for their commitment to modernizing the legal field. “It is with a profound sense of purpose and professional solidarity that I, on behalf of the Executive and the entire membership of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA), extend our warmest congratulations to the Honourable Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Komba Kamanda and the Judiciary of Sierra Leone on this historic occasion of commissioning the Sierra Leone Judiciary library,” she said.

Gento-Kamara emphasized that the library is not merely a compilation of texts but represents a progressive approach to legal practice. “The jurisdiction is not willing to rest on the shadows of outdated practice but is striving to ensure that the scales of justice are not only balanced by conviction or acquittals but also in the quality of judgments delivered,” she stated.

Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles, commended the Chief Justice for this initiative and called for a clear roadmap to ensure the library’s effective operation and sustainability.

Report confirmed that the commissioning ceremony witnessed the presence of judges from the Superior Court Judicature, state dignitaries, magistrates, lawyers, and other judicial staff, marking a crucial step forward in promoting legal research and enhancing the administration of justice in Sierra Leone.