By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay has said the new Criminal Procedure Act will guarantee a fair justice system for everyone. The Attorney General was speaking during the Civic Day Series held at the University of Makeni on the 16th September,2025.
“We started the process of reviewing the Criminal Procedure Act in 2005, it has taken us 20 years to get here. This new CPA will guarantee a justice system that works fairly for all,” he said.
The CPA has now come to effect, on the 16th September, the same day the AG was part of this engagement in the northern city of Makeni. He used his trip to also meet with regional justice sector stakeholders like the Police and Correctional Center, to engage with them on the new CPA.
The Attorney General described this new act as a “transformative framework governing the conduct of criminal proceedings in Sierra Leone.”
Minister Sesay also used his talk to highlight the progress that has been made so far with the constitutional review process. He said like the Criminal Procedure Act, the work on the constitution has gone on from one government to another, showing “Government in Continuity”.
“The constitutional review process is not new. It started 20 years ago. It is like a relay each government has passed the baton, and progress has been made from one administration to another,” he explained.
He said the review will strengthen governance and human right. AG Sesay said the constitutional review process is now in the technical phase and draft will be presented to Parliament shortly, which will then see a public debate on the provisions.
