The Legal Aid Board (LAB) has concluded two separate community engagements and legal empowerments for residents of Taiama and Blama towns and their surrounding villages in the Moyamba and Kenema districts.
The engagement at Taiama took place at the Taiama Court Barry, Taiama Town, in the Kori chiefdom, while the one at Blama took place at Blama Local Court Barry at Blama town in the Small Bo chiefdom, Kenema district.
The engagements were dedicated to capacitating the indigenes of the two chiefdoms on issues bordering on access to justice, community justice mechanisms vis-a-vis the roles and responsibilities of local authorities on one hand and their subjects on the other, referral pathways and some basic laws such as Sexual Offences Act; Domestic Violence Act; Prohibition of Early Child Marriage; Local Court Act; Registration of Customary and Devolution of Estate Acts, etc.
Addressing the gathering at the two events, the Lead Facilitator of the events who also doubles as the Human Resource Manager of the Board, Counsel Ibrahim Bangura explained the role of the Board in addressing justice related issues, due process and the right to legal representation and fair trial. These he said are key to peaceful co-existence. He said every accused person has the right to legal representation, noting that it is one among the many reasons for the establishment of the Board. This he added does not in any way means the Board is promoting violence and lawlessness but rather a way to safe guard the fundamental rights of people who fall foul of the law. Aside from providing legal representation for indigent accused persons, the Board he said can as well institute legal action in civil matters such as class action, maintenance and inheritance matters.
Counsel Bangura admonished the gatherings at the two separate events to continue to obey the laws, contact the legal Aid Board offices in their respective districts if they have any issues and to adhere to the customs and traditions of their respective communities or chiefdoms.
He assured the two communities of the Board’s continued commitment in ensuring that it leaves no one behind in its strides towards expanding access to justice in all spheres of society.
Responding to the Board’s visit during the two separate events, both the Paramount Chief of Taiama Kori chiefdom, P.C Thomas Borbor Gbappi IV and P.C Amy Miatta Myers Benya VI of Small Bo chiefdom, welcomed the Legal Aid Board Team, adding that they cherished the work of the Board. They thanked the Board’s leadership for having chosen their communities for this exercise, noting that they will cascade the message to those absent.
They called on the Board to continue to visit their localities and by extension to also conduct training for their sub-chiefs and also the local court administrators on Local Court Act 2011 and other basic laws. PC Myers Benya VI assured the Board of the availability of the community’s radio station should the Board intends to use it at any time.
Commenting during questions time, the inhabitants of the two chiefdoms started by thanking the Board for the visit and went on to ask questions including whether local authorities have the right to banish subjects from their places of birth if they fall foul of chiefdom laws. According to one Francis Marvay of Taiama, his brother was banished for failing to take part in community work. Responding to the question, Counsel Bangura said there is no law in the country’s law books that institute banishment as a form of punishment for any offence or rule. In Blama, the Chiefdom Speaker, Chief Ishmael Senesie Koroma of Small Bo, asked whether it is mandatory or obligatory for one to take care of his/her parents and the rights of women to marital sex with their husbands. Answering to the questions Counsel Bangura said there is no such law that mandates anyone to take care of his/her parents. However, he said it is a moral responsibility for one to take care of his/her parents if he/she can afford to do such. With regards to marital sex, Counsel Bangura affirmed the rights of women to that.
Among the Team from the Legal Aid Board also were the Acting Programme and Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Sallu Jusu, who spoke on the main objective behind the engagement; the Regional Manager South, Emmanuel B. Sam; Regional Manager East, James Thomas Mafinda and a cross section of the Legal Aid Board staff in Bo and Kenema.
The two events took place on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 May 2026.
