Pursuant to section 5 (1) of the Courts Act, 1965 Act No. 31 of 1965, the Acting Chief Justice, His Lordship Honourable Justice Nicholas Browne-Marke has undertaken the posting of Judicial Staff for the year 2024 in accordance with the constitutional mandate of the Judiciary provided for by section 120 (2) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991, Act No. 6 of 1991.
In the exercise of its judicial functions, the Management of the Judiciary from time to time transfers Judicial Staff as it deems necessary in the interest of justice and based on standard practice.
These internal postings are in line with the core values of the institution including independence, equality, impartiality, accountability and integrity and are done in the spirit of fairness.
It is the practice within the Judiciary for Chief Justices to make necessary transfers which is informed by data including duration and conducts.
The decision to transfer certain Judicial Staff is backed by data which indicates that some Magistrates have stayed in a particular location for three-four years without any changes.
As part of the immediate measures to revert to best practice, the Acting Chief Justice has thoughtfully taken this decision to do a nationwide transfer of Magistrates which is aimed at ensuring effective service delivery.
The Judiciary remains committed to upholding the Constitution of Sierra Leone and the Rule of Law and to adjudicate over matters civil or criminal, in order to promote national peace, security and development.