March 23, 2016
“My organization will work with you to recognise those who play a pivotal role in promoting human rights through access to justice in an annual awards ceremony. It does not matter which corner of the country they find themselves, we will find and recognise them,” Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board, Ms. Claire Carlton-Hanciles, disclosed the initiative to a packed gathering of representatives of civil society at their usual monthly meeting last Thursday.
She noted that the two will have to flesh out the details of the awards in the coming weeks. This will include how the event will be organised, types and number of awards. “We will be relying on you to identify these people,” she stressed. “You have the numbers and presence around the country to do that.”
Mrs. Carlton-Hanciles further disclosed that once the Board opens offices in the regional headquarter towns, which she said would happen soon, the meetings will be replicated in these areas. “The identification of players in the justice sector will be decentralised. Each region will have to nominate people for the award,” she noted and added, “The nominees will come from both the formal and informal justice sectors”.
Mrs. Carlton-Hanciles also stressed the need to bring other civil society organisations to partner with the Legal Aid Board.