Concord Times (Freetown)
Mohamed Massaquoi
23 July 2007
Freetown — The Judiciary has been strengthened to ensure free and fair elections by creating two courts of law at the Law Courts in Freetown, to resolve electoral issues.
These Electoral Courts have been established to safeguard the democratic structure of the judiciary and fulfill an essential role in the achievement of accountable and transparent, free and fair elections, according to a press release issued by the United Nations Development Program.
The release further stated that the two courts, Electoral Offences Court and the Election Petition Rules Court are divisions of the High Court and will address issues relating to the upcoming Parliamentary Elections.
"The Electoral Offences Court will hear criminal matters with reference to offences listed in the Electoral Laws Act and all acts carried out in relation to the Parliamentary Elections, from the registration process to the final announcement of results, will be subject to scrutiny by the courts and those convicted of an electoral offence will be fined or imprisoned," the release states.
The other courts, Election Petitions Courts will handle civil matters linked to the results of the elections, often referred to as 'courts of disputed results', and they will provide redress to those who believe that the outcome of a given poll resulted from wrong doing. In such a case the court will investigate the poll and can remove elected candidates, if it is found that the seat was achieved through improper means.
The release also stated that the courts will operate side by side, with judges hearing both criminal and civil submissions. They will sit in total for six months and will be based in Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Freetown.
The creation of the Electoral Courts by the Chief Justice has taken place in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Electoral Assistance Team and with the financial support from the international community through the Elections Basket Fund.
The UN Executive Representative of the Secretary General, Victor Angelo welcomes the creation of the Electoral Courts, stating that they are 'first in the history of the state, and a significant development in the rule of law and contribution towards the creation of a stable democracy in Sierra Leone.'
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