State
House, Banjul, February 21, 2020 – Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, has
described Gambia’s draft Constitution as a document that is on the way to
meeting highest international standards.
The
centre, as an independent research institute in the UK, established by the
British Institute of International and Comparative Law. It is devoted to the
study and promotion of the rule of law worldwide.
Its
Founder and Director, Sir Jeffrey Jowel, who is a Queen’s Counsel, led a delegation
to the State House to meet with President Adama Barrow on Friday. They are in
Banjul on the invitation of the government to help the country produce its new
constitution and offer technical advice and support on how to make it one of
the best in Africa.
“The
draft is on the way to meeting highest international standards, such as that of
the Commonwealth and a number of advanced human rights and good governance
bodies,” Sir Jeffrey told the press after an audience with President Barrow.
Sir
Jowel said he is impressed with the Gambia’s approach to constitutional
building process, that involved wide consultations and popular participation
process by the citizenry. He also said it was an impressive initiative to give
such an opportunity for ordinary people to contribute to this process.
Such
a process can only seek to counteract bad governance, said the Counsel, who was
led to the State House by the British High Commissioner.
President
Barrow on his part, thanked the Bingham Centre for agreeing to offer support to
his government’s efforts in building solid foundation for a Third Republic in
The Gambia.
He
said building strong institutions is cardinal to his government’s vision and
the UK had been supportive in this process in several ways.
The
delegation comprised acting deputy Director of Bingham Centre, Jan Van Zyl Smit
and Alex Goodman.
High
Commissioner Sharon Wardle said the Centre is already talking to different
stakeholders with vested interests in the Constitutional review process.
