The Judiciary of Sierra Leone has held a solemn tribute session in honour of the late Honourable Justice Ansumana Ivan Sesay(JA) who passed away on Sunday, 29th December, 2024 after a brief ailment.

Welcoming family members, the legal community and other well-wishers to the ceremony, the Master and Registrar of the High Court, Elaine Thomas-Archibald said the solemn and tribute session is in recognition of the invaluable service of the late Hon. Justice Ivan Sesay to not only the Judiciary but the country as a whole. She described Justice Sesay’s death as a monumental loss to the Judiciary, the legal community and the nation.

In his tribute on behalf of the Bench, Honourable Justice Adrian Fisher (J) described the late Justice Ivan Sesay as an interventionist with a measured character in defence of the rule of law whose sudden death ended 39 years of brotherhood and exceptional friendship and competitor both in sports and the law.

“The Hon. Justice Ivan Sesay was a trail blazer in depicting the mien of a Judge. He is renowned as a quintessential Jurist, who had the demeanour worthy of commendation, a unique characteristic that stood him out in his scandal free and eventful career,” adding that his contributions to the legal community have been invaluable as his absence leaves a profound void. He maintained that Justice Sesay’s legal career as an eminent jurist and a distinguished Judge can be characterised as one that was a commitment to ideals and dedication to purpose and service as he embodied and epitomized the rule of law.

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Speaking for and on behalf of the Law Officers’ Department, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Osman Kanu Esq. said Justice Ivan’s demise has left an indelible void in the legal community and the hearts of all those who knew him. He said Justice Sesay brought in wide range of experience and a deep sense of humanity to both at the Law Officers Department where he served as a Criminal Consultant and the Judiciary where he served until his death.

Speaking on behalf of the Bar, O. V Robin – Mason Esq said the late man was a simple, and courteous young man full of zeal and not full of himself but down to earth, with an analytical mind-set as a Prosecutor. Also speaking on behalf of the Bar, Pa Momoh Fofanah Esq said the legal community has lost an industrious colleague, the family a son, husband, father and the nation a committed Public Servant who has passed unto eternity in a hurry. He referred to the late man as a ‘good and tactful legal practitioner’ with stern integrity and a reasonable knowledge of the law.

Speaking on behalf of the Sierra Leone Law School, the Director of the School, Dr Abu Bakarr Bangura said the late Justice Ivan Sesay to was a committed tutor who would always gladly clarify things students grappled with, describing him as a brilliant, generous, unassuming and a constant motivator and inspiration to many aspiring Lawyers.

The late Justice Sesay was born on the 4th of June 1967 in Rotifunk, Moyamba District in the Southern Province of the Country. He received education at the UMC Primary School Kissy, Walter Schutzmemorial Secondary School Rotifunk, St.Helena Secondary School and the Ahmadiyya Secondary School Kissy. He proceeded to FBC where he read law and obtained an LLB Degree with Honours in 1995 and later proceeded to the Sierra Leone Law School where he succeeded in the Bar exams and was called to the Bar in December 1998.

He served as a researcher in the office of the then Chief Justice Desmond Luke between 1998 to 2000. From then on he established a thriving defence practice with his Chambers named Sesay and Partners at Robert Street in Freetown and later worked for NASSIT and the Law Officer’s Department amongst a host of other institutions. He was appointed Justice of the High Court in 2017 and sent to work in Kenema and subsequently elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2019. Until his demise, he was Chairman of the Legal Aid Board and a lecturer at the Sierra Leone Law School and IPAM.

Hon. Justice Anaumana Ivan Sesay is remembered in the Judiciary as an esteemed colleague whose brilliance, humility and dedication to the legal service would be sorely missed.

The Bench, with Judges of the Superior Court of Judicature, the Management and Staff of the Judiciary and members of the bereaved family observed a minute of silence in honour of the memory and dedicated service of the late Justice Sesay. A book of condolence was also opened and signed by the Hon. Chief Justice and members of the Bench and the Bar and others present including the Inspector General of Police. He will be laid to rest on Friday 3rd January 2025, in Wusha Village, Rotifunk Moyamba District.

For more information, contact the Judiciary Communications on +23278244739/+32379101086 / +232 76 61 75 48 or follow us on www.judiciary.gov.sl or on all our social media platforms.