By Mamadou Dem
Gambia’s apex court otherwise known as the Supreme Court will commence sittings next week Tuesday as two foreign Judges are expected to arrive in the country over the weekend.
According to Landing Sanneh, Judicial Secretary, in addition to the recent appointments of six judges by the new government two more judges that were appointed by the former regime as Supreme Court judges will soon join their colleagues at the said court thereby constituting the quorum of the court.
Barrister Sanneh revealed that the judiciary had already bought the air tickets of Justice Abubakar Datti Yahaya of Abuja, Nigeria and one time Judge of Gambia Court of Appeal as well as that of Nicholas Colin Browne of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
It would be recalled that the Supreme Court was not properly constituted following the resignation of Justice Chowhan and sackings of Justices Raymond Sock and Gibou Janneh by President Yahya Jammeh.
This has affected several cases before the court including that of ex-President Jammeh and his APRC Party. However, when the JS was asked whether there is the likelihood for review of certain cases by the court which would require seven members sitting, he responded in the affirmative. “We will Co-opt two judges from the Court of Appeal,” he disclosed.
The current Judges of the Supreme Court are: Justice Cherno Sulayman Jallow, Justice Mary Mam Yassin Sey, Justice Abubakar Datti Yahaya Justice Nicholas Colin Browne and the Chief-Justice Hassan B Jallow who by virtue of his position must be a member of the said court. However if there is going to be a review of a decision of the court, then two additional judges will be included to bring the total to seven as required by Constitution thereby increasing the number to seven.
