In a historic move to improve the welfare of Sierra Leone’s private legal practitioners, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay Esq. has initiated formal talks with the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) and the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) to establish a dedicated pension and social security scheme for lawyers outside the public sector.
The high-level dialogue, held Thursday at the Guma Building in Freetown, marks the first time such a comprehensive welfare initiative has been proposed for private legal professionals in Sierra Leone, many of whom currently lack institutional protection in retirement or times of need.
Chairing the engagement in his role as head of the Bar, Attorney General Sesay stressed the urgent need for sustainable welfare structures across the legal profession. “It is important to invest in initiatives that will address the welfare needs of members of the legal profession,” he noted.
The proposed pension scheme is envisioned as a crucial step toward correcting long-standing inequities between public and private legal practitioners. It also aligns with the government’s broader agenda of expanding social protection to informal and semi-formal sectors.
Senior representatives from both NASSIT and the SLBA, led by SLBA President Madam Tuma Gento Kamara, welcomed the initiative and pledged their full cooperation. One of the major outcomes of the meeting was the decision to form a joint technical committee comprising legal and financial experts from both institutions.
This committee will be responsible for designing the policy and operational framework of the scheme, including legal and actuarial assessments to ensure the initiative is both viable and responsive to the needs of the legal community.
Legal analysts have lauded the Attorney General’s efforts as visionary and overdue. “This is a critical step toward professionalizing and safeguarding the practice of law in Sierra Leone,” one legal commentator said. “It also sends a strong message that the welfare of practitioners matters, regardless of whether they serve in the public or private sector.”
In the coming weeks, the technical working group is expected to begin wide-ranging consultations and lay the foundation for implementation. Attorney General Sesay has committed to personally overseeing progress and maintaining close collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that the resulting scheme is inclusive and financially sustainable.
If successful, the proposed pension plan could serve as a model for similar initiatives across other professional sectors in Sierra Leone—ushering in a new era of social security reform grounded in equity and inclusion.
By Aruna Dennis Cocker
