Aboubacarr
M. Tambedou, Attorney General and
Minister of Justice, has said his ministry’s main tasks, which are expected to
be addressed soon, include a constitutional review, as well as institutional
and law reforms in order to consolidate democracy and good governance in The
Gambia.
He
was speaking to journalists after taking the oath of office, during a ceremony
at the Kairaba Beach Hotel presided over by President Adama Barrow and attended
by the Foreign Affairs Minister Ousainou Darboe and Interior Minister Mai Ahmed
Fatty.
He
said his first task is to restore confidence in the Judiciary and justice
system, adding that he would engage all the stakeholders in the justice process
for better service delivery.
Asked
about his main priorities as the chief legal adviser to the President and the
government, Minister Tambedou said: “One of my priority engagements will be on
the constitution, as all laws are derived from that constitution, which is the
starting point.”
“We
will be implementing or starting with the constitutional review process, with a
view to ensuring that our constitution is relevant and serves the purpose for
which the Gambians have adopted it in the first place.”
Minister
Tambedou added that his second priority is to ensure institutional reform, as
the constitution provisions alone do not guarantee any meaningful change;
therefore, it would be complemented by institutional reforms.
“We
will ensure that we build robust and independent institutions that will prevent
the creation of a permissive environment; that will condone the rule of law and
stop the violation of human rights with impunity.”
The
third area of priority would be law reform, particularly in the criminal
justice sector and the media laws as well.
“I
think it is obvious that you cannot have democracy without the freedom of
expression being exercised fully and without reservations.”
However,
he added, it has to be done in a responsible manner; but the cornerstone of any
democratic exchange of ideas is to allow the free flow of ideas in the first
place, he noted.
