By Arret Jatta
President Adama Barrow presided over the opening of the 2025 legal year yesterday at the law courts buildings in Banjul.
The annual event brought together individuals from the executive, the legislature, judiciary and key stakeholders in the justice sector.
President Barrow remarked that the occasion reaffirms their collective commitment to transforming The Gambia into an enviable democratic nation, championing justice, the rule of law and good governance.
“For the executive, our ambition is not only to improve the dispensation of justice in the country, but also to position The Gambia among the best justice systems in the world. The ongoing comprehensive reforms and strategic investments to strengthen our justice sector are particularly fueled by this vision,” he noted.
He also highlighted the advancement made in the legal sector adding that adopting new state-of-the-art technology has modernised the justice system, leading to more efficient and faster delivery of justice.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dawda Jallow said the past year has been one of “significant progress and formidable challenges” for the his office and the ministry.
“Despite these challenges, we have remained steadfast in our mission to uphold the rule of law, promote good governance and protect the fundamental rights of all citizens. Our achievements are a testament to the dedication and resilience of the hardworking professionals and support staff within the ministry,” he added.
He also acknowledged the achievements and work that remains undone in the judicial sector.
“One of our most significant achievements has been our relentless fight against sexual and gender-based violence. Through targeted prosecutions and public awareness campaigns, we have sent a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated in The Gambia. Moreover, the ongoing digitisation of our case management system has begun to transform how we handle cases, enhancing transparency, efficiency and accountability,” he highlighted.
He also noted that progress has been made in the TRRC implementation plan adding that “the government’s five-year implementation plan is well underway, and the establishment of the hybrid court in collaboration with Ecowas underscores our unwavering commitment to justice and accountability for the past atrocities”.
Chief Justice Hassan Jallow also highlighted the number of cases they registered in the years 2023 and 2024.
“We started the 2024 legal year with a total of 6,317 cases as of 1st January 2024 and this was a carryover from 2023. In the course of 2024, a total of 6,678 new cases were filed. New cases in addition to the carryover of the new cases filed, 4,849 were civil cases, and 1,826 were criminal cases of various kinds,” he highlighted.
He further said that the total of 6,678 represented an increase of 25% over cases registered in 2023.
“This is a very heavy increase, which we need to continuously bear in mind, not only on how to resolve these cases, but to look at the genesis of these cases, the circumstances leading to some of these cases, and to explore ways and methods of prevention and resolution outside the judicial process. So the total number in our docket for 2024 was actually 12,995 cases,” he further highlighted.
