Sierra Leone: A country review of crime and criminal justice, 2008

This report provides a comprehensive review of the crime and criminal justice system in Sierra Leone as of 2008, examining policing, prosecution, prisons, the judiciary, and access to justice. It highlights the systemic collapse of these institutions during the civil war (1991–2002) and the subsequent challenges in reconstruction, including severe underfunding, corruption, politicisation, and a dual legal system that creates disparities between urban and rural justice.

• The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) suffers from significant resource constraints, including inadequate budgetary allocations, poor remuneration, and insufficient logistical support, which lead to low morale and a negative public perception.
• Policing in Sierra Leone is heavily politicised, with reports that crimes committed by individuals with political connections are not properly investigated and that recruitment and promotions are influenced by party loyalty.
• Corruption is prevalent across all levels of the Sierra Leone Police, driven largely by low pay and a high cost of living, frequently manifesting as bribes from the public, particularly in traffic control.
• The prosecution services are hampered by a severe shortage of State Counsels and poor incentives, leading to significant case backlogs, delays, and persistent adjournments.
• Sierra Leone's prisons are severely overcrowded, with a national overcrowding rate of 112 per cent at the time of research, and suffer from appalling living conditions, including lack of pure water and inadequate food.
• Prisoners' access to justice is obstructed by long and convoluted court proceedings, stiff bail conditions that are unaffordable for many, and a lack of legal representation for approximately 92 per cent of sentenced prisoners.
• Judicial independence is compromised by the President's significant influence over the appointment of the Chief Justice and other senior officials, creating a perception that judges serve at the pleasure of the executive.
• The death penalty remains legal in Sierra Leone for crimes such as murder, aggravated robbery, and treason, despite recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for its abolition.
• Access to justice is severely limited for the poor, women, and children due to high legal costs, illiteracy, and a lack of government-supported legal aid.
• Women face systemic discrimination in the customary justice system, particularly regarding marriage, property, and inheritance, and are vulnerable to arbitrary detention and violence by local chiefs.
• Juvenile justice is inadequate, with no specific courts for children, leading to juveniles being tried as adults in open court and often detained in adult prisons due to a lack of remand homes in the provinces.
• The customary justice system is the primary means of redress for approximately 70 to 85 per cent of the population, but it is plagued by understaffing, lack of state subsidies, and arbitrary, non-standardized fines.
• Sierra Leone has signed and ratified many international human rights and criminal justice instruments, but there is often an unacceptably long delay between ratification and actual implementation.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Sierra Leone: A country review of crime and criminal justice, 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M160FULL.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Sierra Leone: A country review of crime and criminal justice, 2008. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M160FULL.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Sierra Leone: A country review of crime and criminal justice, 2008 |date=May 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M160FULL.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009sierra, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Sierra Leone: A country review of crime and criminal justice, 2008}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/M160FULL.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }