I am more concerned about the happenings in The Gambia today than anywhere at the moment. 

Like, why is our Gambian judicial system so corrupt and inept than any known corrupt country around the world?

According to Amie Bensouda, a legal luminary in The Gambia on the information of Gambia’s judicial structure, “The Gambia’s legal system is based on a tripartite system: English law, including the common law and principles of equity and statute law; customary law, which is administered by district tribunals; and Islamic/Shari’a law, which is administered by a Cadi Court system.” (Source AmieBensouda.net). 

This therefore makes district tribunals by default, an arm of Gambia’s judiciary and consequently falls under the scrutiny of the Justice Ministry.

It is an established fact that any judicial system around the globe is scrutinised. Why then are our district tribunals not monitored by the Justice Ministry? Why are they not being held accountable for their actions and inactions?

Did you know that there are pending cases brought to the district tribunals and left lying, piling dust for months and not once brought for hearing to the frustration of the victims?

A typical case in example is the Sukuta District Tribunal. To think that this district tribunal is led by a retired police officer and an ex-magistrate, supposedly an expert on Gambian legal system, but this inept beats my imagination. 

For a man of his stature with his literacy, legal expertise and calibre, I would have thought he would have been a role model-cum-inspiration to the rest.

In contrast, I am in disbelief that this ‘Chief’ with all his supposed legal background, on his working days chooses to sleep up to the late hours of the afternoon whilst gatherings of people form in his compound waiting for him to emerge, only for him to appear and declare that “there is no hearing today”. This is ridiculously unprofessional and happens almost daily.

Imagine the constant frustration of victims who endure regular financial loss through commuting, spending on transport, fuel et al on every futile scheduled hearing. People like him have no empathy to work for the taxpayer.

People of his ilk are the reason why The Gambia is still held back in progress due to incompetence and continuous abuse of position.

Did you know that this District Tribunal issues dates of hearing only for people to realise that the issued date is on a public holiday? 

In this modern day and age, anyone would think a district tribunal will issue hearing days based on a guide by calendar. Do we not live in the 21st century or is The Gambia detached from the modern world?

I am with the belief that our legal system needs to be modernised and we need to do away with all district tribunals for the simple fact that they are useless and waste of taxpayers money.

By a concerned citizen