The
EU funded Access to Justice and Legal Education Project, in partnership with
the National Council for Law Reporting, hosted a gala at the Cocoa Ocean Resort
and Spa in the Bijilou on 27 September, to mark the launching of two sets of
legal publications.
The
publications took 18 months of preparation and cooperation between the Project
and the Ministry of Justice.
The
gala was attended by high-level
dignitaries including, among others
, His Excellency the Ambassador of the
European Union , Atilla Lajos, and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mama Fatima
Singhateh.
The
publications, known as The Gambia Supreme Court Law Reports 2014-2015 and The
Gambia Sharia Law Reports 2012-2015, contain the commented jurisprudence of the
Supreme Court and the Cadi Appeals Panel.
These
reported cases contain the decisions of these courts, verbatim, and stand as
the Law of The Gambia as legal precedent that may be cited as legal authority
in legal proceedings going forth. The Access to Justice Project, funded by the
EU, not only led the preparation of these legal resources in cooperation with
the National Council, but it also funded the printing and delivery of 1000
copies to the National Council for distribution.
The
strengthening of the jurisprudence of
The Gambia is only one of many programs of the EU funded Access to Justice and Legal Education Project
which is contributing €10 million
(equivalent to over GMD 446 million) which includes: (i) Access to justice and
legal education, (ii) Journalism and the media, and (iii) Public financial
management.