Prosecution in Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia

The document examines the role of prosecutors in anglophone African countries, specifically Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia. It identifies systemic issues such as the lack of professional independence due to the merging of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice roles, underfunding, and inadequate personnel. In Sierra Leone, political control is a primary concern; in Tanzania, the circumvention of detention limits is noted; and in Zambia, the lack of direct parliamentary funding makes the Director of Public Prosecution vulnerable to executive interference. The brief recommends separating political and legal offices, increasing funding, and improving police investigative capacity to reduce trial delays across all three nations.

• In many anglophone African countries, the lack of prosecutorial independence is linked to the practice of combining the roles of attorney general and minister or commissioner of justice, which creates a conflict between professional legal responsibilities and partisan political considerations.
• Prosecution in Sierra Leone is hindered by political interference because the minister of justice and attorney general is a political appointee and Cabinet member. Additional constraints include inadequate personnel in the DPP's office, a lack of legal training for police prosecutors, and funding shortages.
• Prosecution in Tanzania is limited by a lack of modern resources, specifically information and communications technology (ICT) and updated library materials, alongside poor police investigative capacity.
• In Zambia, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is vulnerable to executive interference because the office lacks direct funding from parliament. Furthermore, the public perceives the DPP as ineffective when dealing with influential persons.
• Zambian prosecutors face insecurity of tenure and poor conditions of service, while the fragmentation of prosecutors across different institutions prevents a coordinated prosecution policy.

APA

Alemika, E. E. O. (2009). Prosecution in Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO14OCT09.PDF

Chicago

Alemika, Etannibi E O. Prosecution in Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO14OCT09.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alemika |first1=Etannibi E O |title=Prosecution in Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=October 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO14OCT09.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alemika2009prosecution, author = {Alemika, Etannibi E O}, title = {{Prosecution in Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO14OCT09.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }