By Kebba AF Touray
The National Assembly on Monday, 8 September 2025, moved the Judicial Officers (Conditions of Service) Bill, 2025 to the consideration stage, following a heated debate that revealed sharp divisions among lawmakers.
The Bill, tabled for its second reading by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dawda A Jallow, aims to strengthen the independence of the judiciary by enhancing the conditions of service for judicial officers. While some lawmakers welcomed the Bill as a necessary step to guarantee fair and protected remuneration for judicial officers, others voiced concerns about the scope of its benefits.
Hon. Muhammed Kanteh, Member for Busumbala, endorsed moving the Bill forward, stating, “Let’s advance the Bill to the committee stage, so that we can make proposals, amendments, and be able to address the defects of the Bill properly during the committee stage.”
In contrast, Hon. Bakary Badgie of Foni Bintang Karanai rejected the Bill, arguing that improvements in remuneration should not be limited to judicial officers but should extend to all public sectors. “If there are plans to increase remuneration, it should not only benefit the judicial officers, because other sectors should equally benefit from the increment of the remuneration. I reject the bill and I will not accept it,” Badgie asserted.
At the end of the debate, Speaker Seedy SK Njie called for a vote. Twenty-eight members voted in favor of advancing the Bill, four opposed, and two abstained. As a result, the Bill progresses to the consideration stage, where it will be further scrutinized and potentially amended.
The Judicial Officers (Conditions of Service) Bill, first introduced by Minister Jallow on 11th July 2025, seeks to fulfill provisions of Chapter VII of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia, which enshrines the independence of the judiciary and empowers the Judicial Service Commission to oversee the terms and conditions of judicial officers. Specifically, the Bill seeks to implement Section 120(3) of the Constitution, affirming the judiciary’s independence, and Section 142, which mandates the protection of judges’ salaries and entitlements.
As the Bill moves to the next stage, lawmakers are expected to propose amendments and continue deliberations on how best to ensure both judicial independence and equitable remuneration across public service sectors.
