By: Nicholas Bass
The Gambian President Adama Barrow on Thursday praised the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dawda A. Jallow, for delivering swift, fair justice by ensuring justice for all Gambians and their inhabitants.
The Gambian leader made this statement on Thursday at the State of the Nation Address held at the National Assembly House in Banjul. The Ministry of Justice has made significant strides in 2024 by reinforcing the rule of law, protecting human rights, and ensuring justice for all.
The Gambian leader disclosed that through the Ministry of Justice under the watch of Hon. Jallow, his government was able to complete the Draft Constitution, adding that such enabled the central government to table the Draft Constitution before the National Assembly.
He revealed that the passage of the Victims Reparations Act[law] and the establishment of the Special Accountability Mechanism were aimed at past human rights violations.
Mr. Barrow deduced that Gambians have seen the progress made by his government in combating human trafficking through the National Agency for Trafficking in Persons ’ initiatives.
President Barrow underscored that an all-day operational ‘’hotline and the Blue Hearts campaign ‘’ is a global initiative that combats human trafficking.
He stated that the Victims Reparations Commission and Anti-Corruption Commission, which were established through legislation that was passed by the National Assembly [NA], will commence operations in this ‘’legislative year’’.
He reported that the Criminal Division has secured convictions in numerous cases, stressing that the sexual and gender-based violence unit under the Ministry of Justice provided critical legal support by sensitizing the public.
‘’The Registrar General’s Department has upscaled digitization efforts and now operates an online marriage registration portal, thus enhancing efficiency and accessibility,’’ Barrow said.
However, the Gambian leader stated that despite the success gained, challenges remain, specifically in the digitalization of the legal processes, as he promised to address such gaps through continued reforms, capacity building, and internal collaboration.
The President noted that over one thousand drug cases were registered in 2024, the Drug Law Enforcement sector in The Gambia [DLEAG] secured 126 convictions of drug-related cases.