Parliament Approves Justice Fatmata Alhadi As Supreme Court Judge

By Desmond Issac Macauley
The Committee on Appointments and Public Service, chaired by the Leader of Government Business, Honourable Mathew Sahr Nyuma, has debated and approved the following presidential nominee:
Hon. Justice Fatmata Bintu Alhadi – Supreme Court Judge
Presenting the Report, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma said the Presidential Nominee was interviewed on oaths and under strict procedures on issues pertaining to her educational background, questions covering wide range of issues relating to track records and her declared assets, tax obligations, and vision for sustainable tenure. He assured MPs that, the Report is the unanimous decision of the Committee on Appointments and Public Service.
Opposition Whip, Honourable Abdul Karim Kamara from Kambia District, praised the appointment of Hon. Justice Fatmata Alhadi for her experience leadership and also spoke about the need to improve the conditions of service in the judiciary. He described the nominee as a woman of substance. He said Sierra Leone has not done justice to the judiciary over the years in terms of financial allocation.
“Let us support the Judiciary for a proper service delivery in the judicial sector,” he said. He ended by saying that there is a need to empower more women in our society.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Ibrahim Tawa Conteh said Parliament makes laws, but the power to interpret the law made by Parliament is in the hands of the judiciary. Referencing Section 138 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, Honourable Tawa Conteh said the salaries and allowances of judges should be encouraging, to improve on welfare and service delivery. He added that much more empowerment should be given to the judiciary in order to perform effectively.
“The disbursement of funds in the judiciary must be timely to ensure effective service delivery,” he said.
Chief Whip 2, Honourable Neneh Lebbie in her debate, extended appreciation to President Bio for the appointment of Honourable Justice Fatmata, she describes the appointee as an experience and competent individual who is more than capable to act in the capacity she has been appointed to serve.
The Acting Leader of the Opposition, Honourable Aaron Aruna Koroma, said he has a strong conviction that the nominee will perform extremely well in the Supreme Court. He said there is a need for the Judiciary to go on a self-account system to enhance its operations. He encourages the Chief Justice to continue rebranding the image of the judiciary and ensure justice for the people of Sierra Leone. He ended by saying, Parliament has a great role to play in the independence of the judiciary through allocation of resources to the sector.