The Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) met with the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in Freetown on 24th March, 2025, to discuss ways to improve access to information in Sierra Leone.

Dr. Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, the Chairman and Information Commissioner of the RAIC, addressed the meeting to highlight the connection between access to information and access to justice. He stated that both public institutions could work together to reinforce those principles, which he said are essential for good governance.

“The purpose of this meeting is to explore collaboration between the RAIC and your office in promoting access to information,” Dr. Shaw explained. “Our mandate, as outlined by the Right to Access Information Act of 2013, is to ensure citizens have access to information, which is held by government ministries, departments, and agencies,” he assured.

During his statement, Dr. Shaw underscored the challenges faced by the RAIC in securing adequate legal representation. He appealed to the Attorney-General’s office for assistance in assigning a legal counsel to support the Commission’s efforts, emphasizing that the upcoming enactment of the Data Protection Bill, which he said would further stretch their resources.

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“Very soon, the Data Protection Bill would be enacted and the RAIC will be providing oversight in the implementation of that law. So, we are going to be stretched further. We have regional officers, but we only have one lawyer covering all the regions and the national secretariat in Freetown. We would therefore need the support of your ministry with a state counsel to enable us deliver better on our mandate,” he requested.

He also outlined the RAIC’s annual compliance monitoring process, which assesses public institutions’ adherence to access to information regulations. “At the end of every year, we monitor the state of compliance to access to information. In doing so, we send access to information compliance template to these institutions asking them to complete and submit their reports in complying with the law. This gives us a clear understanding of what obtains in public institutions and what needs to be done in improving access to information in the country,” he informed the Ministry of Justice, asserting that the data gathered is vital for improving transparency and accountability in governance and crucial for Sierra Leone’s international ratings on access to information.

The alignment with the UNESCO Survey, a global frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG16.10), was also noted by Dr. Shaw, as it emphasized the role of public information in achieving broader developmental goals.

Dr. Shaw presented the RAIC’s 2023 Access to Information Annual Report to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, informing him that since 2019, the RAIC has been producing annual reports, which he said, among other things, capture data on the state of compliance.

Attorney-General Alpha Sesay assured the RAIC team that his office is committed to advancing access to information. He stressed the importance of transparency and accountability within the justice sector, as well as the need to digitize justice delivery to enhance public access to legal information.

“We want to assure not only effectiveness and efficiency but also transparency and accountability so that the public know what we do in the sector. We also need to digitize the Justice delivery process. We want judgement to be out there for members of the public to see. We want to public to also know files received from the police for legal advice, those files that are considered to have no evidence and those that proceed to court for trial. We also want the public to know the length of time cases take in court,” he asserted, strongly.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice emphasized the need to have a digitalized case management system wherein members of the public can check online and see the status of cases. “We also want to ensure that drafting of legislations is accompanied with public information and education for the public to know what the legislation is and its impact on people’s lives. We want the public to know how to access justice,” he added.

On the request of the RAIC for a legal counsel, Mr. Alpha Sesay Esq. said his office would have a discussion on it and see how they can provide that legal support requested by the Commission.
The engagement was climaxed by exchange of ideas on access to information law, compliance and best practice.