Judiciary Communications, 16th December, 2024: President Julius Maada Bio has appointed Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Justice Kamanda joined the Judiciary in November 2005 when he was appointed Magistrate and rose to the highest cadre as Principal Magistrate.
Described as the youngest Chief Justice, Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda’s appointment has received commendations from support staff, Magistrates and Judges on the basis that he has the required expertise-both academic qualifications and experience on the bench from Magistrates’ Courts, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
The newly appointed Chief Justice attended both the Holy Trinity Secondary School in Kenema and the Government Secondary School in Bo-The Bo School, before proceeding to Fourah Bay College to pursue his first Degree, BA in English, International Relations and Law. His insatiable desire to pursue his childhood passion in becoming a Lawyer compelled him to enroll again in 2000 to study Law at the University of Sierra Leone. He was Called to the Bar as an Utter Barrister on 8th October, 2004. He immediately started pupillage and legal practice at Mahiteh Chambers, headed by Anthony Y. Brewah.
He is UK’s trained International Commercial Law expert with distinction in Corporate Governance (Master of Laws) from Salford University.
While serving as Magistrate, he served in the following Judicial Districts with unblemished character: Freetown Judicial District – Magistrate Court No 1 and 2; Waterloo Judicial District; Kenema Judicial District, sitting in Kenema and Tongo Fields; Kailahun Judicial District, sitting in Kailahun and Daru; Bombali Judicial District, sitting in Makeni and Kamakwie; Koinadugu Judicial District, sitting in Kabala.
On the 2nd July 2012 while serving as Magistrate, His Worship was appointed a CORONER to investigate the murder incident involving serving police officers in Wellington Freetown Judicial District.
In 2013 Magistrate Komba Kamanda then was appointed a member of the inter-sectoral committee on case management and justice delivery, a body comprising of the Judiciary, the Attorney General’s office, Correctional Service and UNDP.
In 2015 Magistrate Kamanda was appointed a member of the Bail and Sentencing committee, a body responsible to draft, make regulations and law regarding bail and sentencing regime in Sierra Leone. This body authored the Bail Regulations, which is now an Act of Parliament that regulates bail in Sierra Leone.
On the 16th January 2016 Justice Kamanda was appointed a High Court Judge and given the opportunity to handle both civil and criminal matters. He was also given special responsibility to monitor and supervise the prison courts in Kenema, Bo, Kailahun, Moyamba, Mattru Jong and Freetown.
On the 16th June 2020 Justice Komba Kamanda was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal. Subsequently, he was empanelled to sit in the Supreme Court in both criminal and civil matters and such trend has continued to date.
Justice Komba Kamanda has a wealth of experience in judicial administration and justice delivery spanning over nineteen uninterrupted and unblemished years. He is amongst the exceptionally very few Judges who have sat in all the layers of court in Sierra Leone and in all the divisions of the High Court. He has also worked as a Judicial officer in both Freetown and the provinces for a considerable period of time. This blend has given him considerable experience in judicial administration and justice delivery.
Due to his sense of dedication, commitment and integrity in the discharge of his duties, Justice Komba Kamanda was recognised and awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the Judiciary of Sierra Leone in view of his outstanding service to the Judiciary in December 2016 at a well-attended function. In that same year Justice Komba Kamanda was accorded similar recognition by the Old Bo Boys Association in respect of his outstanding service in the Judiciary.
In our next publication, you will read a comprehensive profile of the newly appointed Chief Justice.
For more information, visit the Judiciary website on www.judiciary.gov.sl or contact the Judiciary Communications on +23276617548/ +23278244739.