Photos of Externs' Training

In November 2011, the Externs underwent a 3 day training sessions on legal topics and legal skills in order to prepare them for the externship. This included a court visit, talks from the host NGOs and also talks from guest speakers, such as Stephen Mansaray (Deputy Master & Registrar, Law Courts) and Lansana Kotor Kamara (Lawyer, Special Court for Sierra Leone).

Some photos below:

Just my thoughts about justice...

My experiences working as a legal extern at Advocaid have changed my perception greatly about the way I view the justice system in Sierra Leone and those who face it. I mean in the past, I used to think that the law is what we are told in our law classes, not realizing for a second that in reality the gulf between theory and practice could not have been wider.      Let’s take detention at police stations for example. The law says no person should be detained for more than 72 hours for minor offences and not more than 10 days for very serious offences. But going to the police stations across Freetown, has let me know firsthand that every so often people are kept for over 5 to 8 days for very minor offenses without any charge being brought against them. In most cases the complainant strikes a deal with the police to detain accused persons for longer than lawful/ necessary, something which some of the police (not all of them please) are only too willing to do for petty sums of money. I think that the police, through its Complaint Discipline and Internal Investigation Department and other civil and international organizations are doing a lot to bring about changes in these areas. However, considering the frequency and normalcy in which things like this are done, I guess we still have a lot to do to curb this ugly situation and help the most vulnerable people in our communities access JUSTICE.

Alimamy Koroma (with input from Hawanatu Kamara), AdvocAid

Alimamy at work

An introduction to the externs

John

My name is John Mans and I am a third year law student at Fourah Bay College. I have been placed for my legal externship at Defence for Children International (DCI). I feel happy that I have been given this opportunity by AdvocAid to be a part of a ground breaking venture and I intend making the most out of this opportunity.

Alimamy

 Hello everyone, I am Alimamy Koroma, a second year student currently in the department of law at Fourah Bay College. I am currently placed at AdvocAid as a legal extern. I am a positive person with a lot of passion for human rights and justice. Since I started working in November 2012, I have gained a lot of experience with regards to the justice sector in Sierra Leone with all its challenges. The whole experience has been great and I'm looking forward to giving my best.

Wilbri

Hi, I'm Wibri John, a third year law student of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. I am a legal extern placed with L.A.W.Y.E.R.S through a legal ai programme coordinated by AdvocAid. L.A.W.Y.E.R.S is an organisation that is there to help women yearning for equal rights and justice. I am currently more involved with helping victims of gender based violence and this has been a very rewarding experience for me. I am also confident that because of this experience I will be a better lawyer than I would have been without this opportunity. Knowing the law is one thing but being present when it is being put into practice is a whole new experience given the many obstacles in our legal system. Being part of this has given me the urge to be part of the next generation of lawyers who'll advocate for a change in our legal system and I believe that with time and more people presented with this same opportunity, this change will eventually happen.


Hawa and Esther with Marvell, AdvocAid's Freetown paralegal



Hawa

Hi, I'm Hawanatu Kamara, a third year law student at the Fourah Bay College. I'm a legal extern working for AdvocAid which is an organisation helping to promote free legal aid in Sierra Leone, especially for women and children in conflict with the law. Reading the theoretical part of law and also having the opportunity to put it into practice to help others is a very challenging but rewarding opportunity for me and I intend to give it my best shot!

Esther

Hello, I am Vivienne Esther Kabia, a fourth year student at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. I am a legal extern (like a paralegal) working with L.A.W.Y.E.R.S under the externship programme that AdvocAid is co-ordinating. There is much to be done within our legal system. There has to be a starting point; laws have to be reformed, created, implemented and enforced. Above this, people have to be sensitized so they are aware of how the law operates, their rights upheld, and the necessary workforce trained and put in place.

Anrite

Hello everyone. My name is Anrite Columbus Thompson. I am a 3rd year student in the department of law at Fourah Bay College. I am currently placed at Defence for Children International as a legal extern. Here I work to aid the process of educating, rehabilitating and securing justice for children in conflict with the law.