By Louise Jobe
For more than two months, the Brikama Children’s Court has been without a sitting magistrate, leaving dozens of cases involving young people in limbo. The court, once overseen by Magistrate Theresse William, has struggled to resume normal sittings since her resignation earlier this year.
Magistrate William, who left her post to pursue private legal practice, now serves as legal counsel for the National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec). Her departure came after the landlord of the court’s rented premises in Brikama Jamissa forced the institution out, and the staff were relocated to the Brikama Magistrate Court between February and March 2025.
In the absence of a permanent replacement, Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy—who recently returned from China—was asked to step in temporarily. But the stopgap arrangement has not been enough to clear the growing backlog.
On the court grounds, frustration has been mounting. Victims and families who travel long distances say their cases are repeatedly adjourned, with no clear timeline for resolution. “Every time we come, the court clerk will give adjournment date,” one victim said. “When I asked about the magistrate, the clerk told me I can come back on the next adjourned date, or call him, and he will tell me if there is a magistrate or not.”
Another complainant pointed to the financial burden of the delays. “I have been paying fares to come to court for about three to four months without any court sittings,” he said.
The delays have left some of the most vulnerable litigants—children and their families—waiting in uncertainty, with no indication of when the court will be fully functional again.
