Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, has announced that the new Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) 2024 will come into force on September 16, 2025, replacing the CPA of 1965.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Sesay said nationwide training has begun across the justice sector to prepare for the law’s implementation. Police investigators, the first point of contact in criminal cases, were the first group to receive training on Tuesday.
The Attorney General highlighted several key reforms under the Act, including reducing the time suspects spend in custody, introducing protections for vulnerable witnesses, and replacing preliminary investigations with committal proceedings.
Under the new process, magistrates will have 28 days to decide whether a case should proceed to trial. For certain offenses, courts will also be empowered to consider non-custodial sentences as alternatives to imprisonment.
Sesay described the legislation as a step toward building a justice system that is “efficient, transparent, and accountable-one that does not criminalize poverty and status.” He added that the reform’s rollout will remain “a work in progress.”
