What Dr Thorpe said at the Electoral Offence Court Launching!
The Electoral Offence Court was officially launched by the Honorable Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Umu Hawa Tejan Jalloh on Thursday 19 July 2012.
Dr. Christiana Thorpe said, “Mr. Chairman, My Lady Chief Justice, Honorable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Members of the Judiciary, Members of the Diplomatic Corp, Members of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Member of the fourth Estate, Ladies and Gentlemen.
The launch of the Electoral Offence Court is yet another important milestone in our stride towards achieving a peaceful and credible election.
We at NEC are grateful for the collaboration we have been enjoying with the Law Officers Department, the Law Reform Commission, and the Sierra Leone Bar Association.
In particular, we are grateful for their contribution towards the review of the Electoral Law of Sierra Leone which has culminated in the passage of the Public Elections Act 2012.
This Act did not only revisit the elections procedures but also expanded the elections offences to include offences relating to Information Technology.
The establishment of the Electoral Offence Court has underpinned Sierra Leone’s contribution to the Accra Principles of Electoral Justice (APEJ), which was launched last September in Accra, Ghana, and of which Kenya, Ghana, and Sierra Leone are pilot countries.
Of significance in the establishment of the Electoral Offence Court is the provision that trials in the court be concluded within six months of the commencement of their proceedings. This is most welcome as justice will be dispensed without undue delay.
I would like to thank our development partners for making this launching a reality and our Lady Chief Justice and her team for their support and guidance. It is our hope that the Elections Offence Court will stand up to the daunting task ahead and prove once more that Sierra Leone has become of age.
Thank you for your attention.”
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