CHRDI Sounds Alarm as Sierra Leone Ranks Last Among Low-Income Countries in 2026 Rule of Law Index
Aaron Parker The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) has raised concerns over Sierra Leone’s rule of law performance in the 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, highlighting weaknesses in regulatory enforcement and the administration of criminal and civil justice.
According to figures cited by CHRDI, Sierra Leone ranked 109th out of 143 countries globally, 17th out of 34 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and last among 16 low-income countries assessed in the index.
The organisation identified regulatory enforcement as the country’s weakest area, with Sierra Leone ranked 133rd out of 142 countries and scoring 0.35. Criminal justice and civil justice were also highlighted as areas of concern.
CHRDI said the findings reflect persistent challenges in ensuring that laws are enforced fairly and that citizens have effective access to justice.
The 2026 index, released on 21 October, also reportedly found that the rule of law declined in 62 per cent of countries assessed globally.
To support its concerns, CHRDI cited findings from prison monitoring conducted at the Freetown Male Correctional Centre on 14 October 2025. The organisation reported documenting 481 detainees who had not been indicted, alongside more than 1,000 people held on remand.
CHRDI also reported observing three infants in prison cells, the mixing of inmates with tuberculosis and HIV, and people with mental health conditions who had allegedly been left without adequate care.
The organisation argued that prolonged detention without indictment and poor prison conditions raise serious human rights concerns, citing provisions of Sierra Leone’s Constitution, Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, commonly known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
CHRDI linked the country’s poor regulatory enforcement ranking to concerns that laws may exist on paper without being implemented consistently or fairly. It also associated weaknesses in criminal justice with concerns about selective enforcement, corruption and the disproportionate impact of the justice system on poorer citizens.
“When enforcement collapses, detention becomes the punishment,” the organisation stated, warning that prolonged remand and inadequate prison conditions undermine the principles of justice and the protection of fundamental rights.
CHRDI described the reported conditions as evidence of serious rights abuses and called attention to the need for stronger accountability, fairer enforcement of the law and improvements in the administration of justice.
The organisation said its work remains focused on monitoring prison conditions, documenting alleged abuses and advocating for the protection of human rights in Sierra Leone.