Hon. Justice Allan B. Halloway of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone has accused Chief Justice Komba Kamanda of constitutional breaches and violations of his fundamental rights.
In a five-page letter dated August 11, 2025, Justice Halloway alleged that the Chief Justice ordered actions against him, including the withholding of his mid-month allowance, suspension of his fuel allocation, failure to maintain his official vehicle, and refusal to reimburse medical expenses.
He argued that these acts contravened Section 138(3) of the 1991 Constitution, which prohibits any variation of a judge’s salary, allowances, or conditions of service to their disadvantage.
“Undisputedly, you have withheld my mid-month allowance aforesaid and my supply of fuel for my official vehicle has been stopped, causing me to use from my monthly salary to meet expenses arising from your withholding aforesaid,” Justice Halloway wrote. He added that delays in covering his medical bills put his health and life at risk, especially as he also supports his 83-year-old mother.
Beyond financial concerns, Justice Halloway accused the Chief Justice of deliberately excluding him from judicial duties. He claimed he had been removed from both Appeal Court and Supreme Court panels, denied new case assignments, and ordered to surrender files of matters already assigned to him—measures he described as a “tacit suspension” that threatened judicial independence.
“You now unconstitutionally and without any reason whatsoever, target my lawful source of livelihood, which undisputedly, is inhuman of you, a threat to my very existence and is the worse form of your violations of my rights,” he stated.
The senior judge, widely regarded as one of the most experienced members of the judiciary, said other judges privately condemned the Chief Justice’s actions but feared openly speaking out. He warned that if the issues raised were not addressed, he would pursue redress under the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“I sincerely hope you do not force me to seek redress accordingly. I hold the view that you cannot be above the law,” the letter concluded.
Copies of the correspondence were sent to President Julius Maada Bio, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, the Attorney General, the Chief Minister, fellow Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges, the Ombudsman, the Human Rights Commission, and several civil society groups.
At the time of publication, the Public Relations Office of Sierra Leone’s judiciary was contacted for comment but did not respond.
