The Judiciary of Sierra Leone has assigned the case filed by lawyers for Lara Taylor-Pearce today, following persistent calls for action.

The case, which seeks the Court’s interpretation of sections 137(4), 137(5), and 137(6) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991, was initially filed on March 16, 2022. However, former Chief Justice Edwards failed to list the matter for hearing. The panel hearing the case will include Justices Alan Halloway JSC, Mangeh Deen Tarawally JSC, Alusine Sesay JSC, Abdulai Bangura JSC, and Reginald Fynn JA.

Lawyers for Lara Taylor-Pearce have raised several key issues in the case. They questioned whether the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) could recommend investigating the Plaintiff without prior complaints from a third party. They also argued that the tribunal set up to investigate the Plaintiff was improperly constituted, as the appointed members did not meet the required qualifications of having been substantive Justices of the Supreme Court. Furthermore, they asserted that the JLSC violated due process and principles of natural justice by not informing the Plaintiff of the specific allegations and not involving her in the investigation process.

The assignment of the Supreme Court case comes after the Tribunal has submitted its report to the President. To date, despite several persistent calls, the report of the Tribunal has not yet been made public.