Sierra Leone’s Chief Justice has assigned additional judges and magistrates and ordered extended court sittings, including on Saturdays, to fast-track cases linked to the country’s escalating drug crisis, the judiciary said on Monday.
The directive follows a sharp rise in drug trafficking and abuse cases, particularly involving kush, a synthetic drug that has ravaged communities and caused hundreds of deaths among young people across the country.
According to a statement from the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, seven judges and four magistrates have been deployed to handle drug-related offences in the Western Area, while all judges and magistrates in the provinces have been instructed to prioritise such cases.
“The Honourable Chief Justice has further directed that extended court sittings be observed to include Saturdays,” said the notice signed by Deputy Master and Registrar Hulaimatu F. Christian-Moses. “This measure forms part of the Judiciary’s ongoing reforms to ensure the efficient and timely adjudication of cases involving drugs-related offences.”
The move comes amid intensifying concern over narcotics trafficking through Sierra Leone, a West African transit hub increasingly exploited by international drug cartels.
In recent years, the country has recorded a series of high-profile cocaine seizures. In July 2022, authorities intercepted more than 500 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a shipping container at Freetown Port, one of the largest drug busts in Sierra Leone’s history. The following year, police arrested several foreign nationals after uncovering another major cocaine consignment at Lungi International Airport.
Local media have also reported the recent disappearance of a shipping container allegedly containing precursor chemicals used in kush production, with customs and police trading blame over its whereabouts.
Law enforcement agencies have faced criticism for corruption and weak enforcement, while hospitals and rehabilitation centres are struggling to cope with the surge in drug-related illnesses. Civil society groups have warned that unclaimed bodies, many believed to be victims of kush addiction, are increasingly found on Freetown’s streets.
President Julius Maada Bio’s government has pledged to crack down on traffickers and strengthen the justice system to address the crisis.
By Joe Turay
