The Legal Aid Board provided Legal representation to 25 of 36 accused persons arraigned before the Honourable Justice Monfred Sesay at the two-day November Criminal Call-Over Holden at the Freetown High Court No. 1 from 30 November to 1 December 2020.
The 25 accused persons were charged with various offences ranging from wounding with intent to burglary and housebreaking, murder and sexual penetration. Three of the accused represented by the Board pleaded guilty and were sentenced to various prison terms while 22 pleaded not guilty and their matters adjourned to diverse dates.
The accused persons were represented by Legal Aid Counsels Cecilia Tucker who also doubles as Legal Aid Manager, Nicky Spencer-Coker, Morrison Karimu and Ibrahim Bangura. The eleven other accused persons arraigned before the court were represented by private lawyers.
The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles said the fact that the Board provided legal representation to majority of the accused persons in the Call-Over goes to establish its credentials as the largest legal aid organization.
The Call Over is a statutory session divided into four: September, November, January and May. Each session marks the commencement of criminal cases committed to the High Court for trial.