President Adama Barrow appointed two judges to the Supreme Court of the Gambia on Thursday. 

“In accordance with the power vested on him under Section 138(2) of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, has appointed Honourable Justice Awa Bah and Honourable Justice Edrissa F. Mbai as Justice of the Supreme Court of The Gambia,” the State House said in a press statement. 

“The appointments will be effective on 1st August 2020, following the recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission.  

“The appointments of the two Judges would bring the number of full time, Gambian judges, to seven, with less dependence on part-time judges.   

“It will also provide the Supreme Court with the number required to hear and determine a case of review. 

“These latest appointments are central in increasing the number of Gambian legal luminaries in the Judiciary, an important factor in the judicial reforms under the Barrow administration.”

Justice Awa Bah, who was until recently president of the Court of Appeal, is the second female Gambian judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court. Justice Mam Yassin Sey is the first to be appointed to the court. 

Justice Edrissa F. Mbai was a High Court judge and former Justice minister of The Gambia.