The Independent News SL | West Africa | News Brief | Abuja, Nigeria.
Sierra Leone’s Chief Justice, Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda, is emerging as one of West Africa’s strongest voices for judicial reform, using his leadership at home and at the regional level to push for a justice system that is fair, accountable, and people-centered.
As Chairman of the ECOWAS Judicial Council, Justice Kamanda outlined an ambitious reform plan during the opening of the 2025/2026 Judicial Year in Abuja. His proposals include updating the Council’s Procedural Rules, activating its arbitration mandate, and advancing the creation of an ECOWAS Appellate Court, a bold step that, if realized, would reshape regional jurisprudence and set new standards of accountability.
But observers note that Kamanda’s regional agenda is not isolated from his domestic track record. In Sierra Leone, he has already begun a reform drive that targets long-standing weaknesses in the judiciary: tackling case backlogs, modernizing courts through digital systems, expanding access for vulnerable groups, and strengthening accountability mechanisms for judges and magistrates. These initiatives are part of his determination to position Sierra Leone’s judiciary as a credible model of reform in the region.
“The opening of a judicial year is more than tradition; it is a moment of recommitment to justice, fairness, accountability, equity, and the rule of law,” Justice Kamanda said in Abuja. “We must innovate and make the system work for the people it was designed to serve.”
His push for an ECOWAS Appellate Court has been described by legal analysts as a turning point. It promises to harmonize legal standards across West Africa and provide a vital mechanism to resolve contradictions in rulings from the ECOWAS Court of Justice. Yet it also raises difficult political questions, particularly for member states reluctant to give supranational bodies more authority over national courts.
By linking his domestic reforms with his regional leadership, Justice Kamanda is sending a clear signal: Sierra Leone will not only strengthen its own justice system but also play a central role in reshaping the ECOWAS legal order. His approach reflects a broader vision of judicial independence and accessibility that places Sierra Leone among the leaders of reform-driven governance in West Africa.
The Abuja ceremony, the first of its kind to mark the opening of the ECOWAS Court’s judicial year was attended by dignitaries including Cape Verde’s President, H.E. José Maria Pereira Neves, and the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Honourable Justice Ricardo C.M. Gonçalves. Justice Kamanda was accompanied by senior Sierra Leonean jurists: Justices Mangeh Fana Deen Tarawally (JSC), Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi (JSC), Tonia Barnett (JA), and Kalila Diana Kamara.
As he consolidates reforms in Freetown while championing change in Abuja, Justice Kamanda is positioning Sierra Leone as more than a participant in regional justice. He is attempting to make the country a benchmark for reform in West Africa, with ripple effects that could redefine how justice is delivered across the entire subregion.
