6th Floor Youyi Building, Freetown, 8 December 2025- The Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA) on Tuesday convened a high-level validation workshop in Freetown to review the draft document on the reform and reversion of the Local Courts to the Ministry. The session brought together members of the steering committee, representatives from the Judiciary, the Office of the Attorney-General, traditional authorities, and civil society organisations.
Delivering the opening statement, the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Amb. Tamba Lamina, highlighted concerns earlier raised by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice regarding how the Judiciary and the Ministry will collaborate in providing effective oversight for Local Courts. He reaffirmed that Local Courts will continue to operate under a shared supervisory framework between the Ministry and the Judiciary—particularly in areas such as the issuance of warrants, appointments of court leadership, and the guidance role of Customary Law Officers (CLOs).
The Minister described the meeting as a crucial validation forum where the consultant would present the structure and content of the draft report before it proceeds to the Law Officers’ Department. He expressed confidence in the progress made so far, noting that “the point we have reached is much better, and we have done justice to the task.”
Following the Minister’s statement, the consultant leading the review process, Flord Davies Esq., presented the validation document through a detailed PowerPoint presentation. His presentation outlined the rationale for the reforms, key findings from regional consultations, strategic directives on governance and oversight, inclusion benchmarks, and the proposed implementation roadmap. The presentation provided the basis for collective reflection before the document moved to the next stage of government scrutiny.
After this presentation, committee members broke into group discussions to deliberate on four central thematic areas of the proposed reforms:
1. Selection and Appointment of Local Court Leaders – Members examined the role of the customary law officer, the relevance of a deputy chairperson, safeguards against political or personal bias, and whether CLOs should retain review powers that may appear appellate in nature. They also discussed how CLOs can offer guidance without creating conflicts and whether they should serve on District Oversight Committees.
2. Inclusion Benchmarks – The discussion centered on mechanisms to effectively implement the 30% quota for women as Local Court chairpersons and how wider inclusion requirements could be strengthened across chiefdom justice administration.
3. Monitoring and Finance – Participants explored ways to strengthen financial accountability, improve revenue management, and enhance operational transparency within Local Courts.
4. Coordination and Administration – Deliberations focused on improving coordination among Local Courts, traditional leaders, the Judiciary, and the MLGCA for a smoother justice delivery system.
Civil society representatives commended the reform process, describing it as “transparent, straightforward, and aligned with best practices.” The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) representative further recommended that the appointment of Local Court leadership be handled solely by the Ministry to prevent conflicts of interest.
At the end of the session, Minister Lamina formally endorsed the draft document for presentation to the final committee stage, marking a significant step toward developing a new Local Courts Act.
The validation workshop forms part of ongoing national efforts to modernize customary justice, strengthen oversight and accountability, and expand inclusion particularly for women and marginalized groups within Sierra Leone’s Local Court system.
For more details:
Frederick V Kanneh
Senior Information Officer
MLGCA
