Sierra Leone Chief Justice orders release of 11 inmates

Sierra Leone’s Chief Justice, Komba Kamanda, has ordered the release of eleven inmates at the Kailahun Correctional Centre following a review of their cases. The decision aimed to ensure sentences for minor offences are fair and proportionate while addressing overcrowding within the correctional system.

Justice Kamanda exercised supervisory powers under the Laws of Sierra Leone to review individual convictions. One released individual, 20-year-old Abdul Momoh, had been serving time for the theft of cocoa worth less than US$5. The Chief Justice emphasized that the review was intended to promote access to justice and allow the judiciary to monitor magistrate rulings, rather than serving as a blanket release of convicted persons.