Prominent Sierra Leonean lawyer and lead counsel for the All People’s Congress (APC), Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara (JFK), is expected to appear before the Supreme Court today as the Court resumes hearings on the proposed constitutional amendments.
The appearance comes days after JFK was held in contempt of court and remanded at the Pademba Road Correctional Centre following a heated exchange with Chief Justice Komba Kamanda in open court.
According to court sources, the incident occurred during last week’s proceedings when the Supreme Court was hearing submissions on the controversial constitutional amendment bills currently before the Court. JFK reportedly took issue with filings from the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, leading to a confrontation on the bench which the Court ruled as contemptuous.
The Supreme Court subsequently adjourned both the substantive constitutional amendment proceedings and the matter relating to JFK’s contempt to today, Tuesday, 13th October.
JFK, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and a former Anti-Corruption Commissioner, is representing the APC in its challenge to the amendments. His detention has sparked widespread debate within the legal profession and the political sphere.
The General Legal Council (GLC), the regulatory body for the legal profession in Sierra Leone, and several senior lawyers have been drawn into the conversation, with differing views emerging over calls for leniency and respect for the authority of the Court.
Meanwhile, the Opposition in Parliament has expressed deep concern over his continued detention. In a statement issued over the weekend, the Opposition Caucus called on the Supreme Court to reconsider JFK’s remand, take into account the apology he has tendered, and order his release in the interest of justice and fair hearing in the constitutional matter.
All eyes are now on the five-judge panel led by Chief Justice Kamanda as the Court decides both the fate of the prominent lawyer and the next steps in the constitutional amendment hearings.
