The Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Komba Kamanda, during a meeting with a delegation from Expertise France, emphasized the Judiciary of Sierra Leone’s dedication to combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The Chief Justice outlined important strides taken by the Judiciary, including specialized training for Judges, Magistrates, and Lawyers specifically focused on human trafficking, adoption, and related offenses. He stated, “Those set of Judges and Magistrates trained have cases on human trafficking and adoption exclusively assigned to them for determination,” highlighting a structured approach to addressing those critical issues.

“These workable strategies implemented by the Judiciary in handling cases on adoption and human trafficking have greatly reduced the rate at which the act/offence is ventured into,” the Chief Justice told the France delegation.

During discussions, the deputy head of Migration, Gender and Human Rights at Expertise France, Ms. Matilda Ngakui Pima, shared that the organization aims to enhance protection for victims of human trafficking and bolster the legal frameworks of partner nations. She noted that the delegation’s visit aimed to gather insights on the challenges faced by the judiciary in enforcing the Human Trafficking and Migration Smuggling Act of 2022.

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Chief Justice Kamanda acknowledged the significant hurdles present in securing victim cooperation within the criminal justice system, noting, “There are major challenges with victim’s cooperation in getting them to engage the criminal justice system due to illegal compromises which serve as hindrance to expeditious trials.” He explained that while most criminal cases start in Magistrate’s Courts, human trafficking cases are directly tried in the High Court due to their serious nature.

Despite evident progress, the Chief Justice admitted that limited resources are affecting the Judiciary’s ability to combat human trafficking effectively. “My institution has limited resources which has hindered the capacity of the Judiciary and other actors to comprehensively address human trafficking,” he explained.

The head of the Expertise France delegation, Madam Ngakui Pima, acknowledged those challenges and reaffirmed her organization’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone. She referred to the delegation’s visit as a fact-finding mission that could lead to Sierra Leone being included in a regional project focused on fighting human trafficking.

Describing the judiciary’s current strategy as “very ambitious,” she stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach to tackle the issue effectively.

Closing the meeting, Chief Justice Kamanda reiterated the Judicial’s commitment to combating human trafficking. He noted that the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders, including the Sierra Leone Police and the Ministry of Social Welfare and Children’s Affairs, have been vital in reducing crime rates related to human trafficking and adoption.

He enlightened that the Communications and Public Affairs Department of the Judiciary plans to launch a strategic public campaign aimed at uncovering the safe havens used by traffickers and their accomplices.