On the right track

The Attorney General and minister of Justice has come our clean and clear on the controversial happenings or challenges in the country’s judicial sector.

His office has outlined such issues as the legal liability bill of more than D2 billion it would cost the nation for international cases filed against The Gambia under the Jammeh regime; the rationale behind the truth and reconciliation commission; the capacity development needs of the judicial system of the country; and the need for more and thorough investigations into cases before real action is taken.

These factors really set the pace for a smooth, fair and impartial justice system in The Gambia, as rightly outlined by the Justice minister.

“…Our criminal justice system will dispense justice in a fair, impartial and dispassionate manner,” he noted, saying: “We must focus on building a strong, robust and independent justice system to match the aspirations of the people of this country so that no one in this country will ever be dragged before our courts for a crime that they did not commit. That is the primary objective of our reform agenda.”

We would like to commend the Justice minister for his willingness and determination to build and uphold a just, fair and honest justice system in our country that should be the envy of all.

If at all our words are our bonds, such a system of justice dispensation can be attained, and if at all we could achieve such targets, then our justice system would be a reference for the world.

Furthermore, we noted keenly the citation of the case of the death of Solo Sandeng and the like, mentioned in the statement of the Justice minister, and how he “takes very seriously” such cases and all other similar unfortunate incidents over the past 22 years of the former government.

Of course, we as a media outlet are a direct victim of what transpired over the past 22 years of the former government, with the assassination of journalist Deyda Hydara, co-publisher and managing editor of The Point newspaper.

So, we therefore subscribe to the Justice ministry’s position in trying to adopt a comprehensive and holistic approach to addressing these justice-related challenges rather than approaching them piecemeal.

So many bizarre and awful things took place during the past 22 years, which must be unearthed for a just system to be seen and proper healing and reconciliation ensured.

So, take the right steps our Justice minister; we are watching!

"I think the first duty of society is justice."
Alexander Hamilton