Gambian lawyers call for action against rights violations


Legal practitioners in the Gambia have call for action against human rights in the country amid public criticism against the Bar Association for their ineffectiveness in fight against human rights.
Members of the Gambia Bar Association made this revelation during an intense debate the debate was about whether the lawyers should speak against violations of citizen’s rights at the start a seminar on legal practice in Banjul. They stressed that it is important to secure public confidence.

Awa Ceesay-Sabally, a senior legal practitioner gave a glimpse of her part in human rights issues. She stated in April 2001, some members of the Bar got instructions to represent a group of students who were detained following a student strike. ‘We went to the court, sought for their release and the Magistrate did not only declare their detention illegal, but ordered for their release. For me that was when my activism started, she said.
Mrs. Sabally also recalled her involvement with the Gambia Press Union, and they were able to put aside the Media Commission Bill. She noted that there are many local statues that are not ideal in a democratic country, which she said can be declared null and void if fought for at the courts. "It cannot be a one man crusade; it must take will and courage to do so, we must do it together or allow dictatorship to prevail," she told fellow legal practitioners.


The President of the Bar, Ms. Amie Bensouda, argued that the Bar is not a political body that shall raise alarm when human rights are violated, on the other hand Mrs. Bensouda added that public expectation on them is not realistic, citing that members of the Bar have over the years done good jobs by representing people in courts at no cost in some instances.

Nonetheless, she said, where to draw the line when such matters arise has been the problem.
‘Because of the lack of this precision, it is difficult to make a choice. We should have a rule to state as to what the executive can do when such critical issues arise," she stressed.
Lawyer Sagarr Cecelia Jahateh, admitted that human rights, especially freedom of speech, is being eroded in The Gambia. The Bar needs to stand for the people, she said, while calling on her colleagues to set up a unit at the Bar that will handle cases of human rights.
Lawyer Surahata Janneh said the Bar should raise an alarm on human rights violation either by press releases or educate the public. According to him, it has been a trend that they consider themselves not a trade union, but should uphold the rule of law at all times.
He cited the case of a Nigerian lawyer by the name, Femi Felani, whom he said exerted himself in the defense of human rights throughout his career, notwithstanding Nigeria's military regimes.