Justice Jaiteh Orders Interior Minister and IGP to Address Logistical Failures Causing Court Delays

Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the High Court has issued a firm directive to the Minister of Interior and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to immediately resolve what he described as “serious logistical and operational challenges” that continue to delay court proceedings across the judiciary.

The directive was made on Tuesday during the hearing of The State v. Abdoulie Sanyang, which was scheduled to commence at 9:00 a.m. but was delayed for over an hour because the accused was not escorted to court until 10:00 a.m.

Justice Jaiteh noted that the recurring problem stems from a shortage of male prison officers available to escort and supervise remand prisoners between detention facilities and the courts.

He described the situation as unacceptable, stating that it has led to “repeated delays, unnecessary adjournments, and overall disruption in the administration of justice.” Such delays, he added, are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a fair hearing within a reasonable time, as enshrined in Section 24(3) of the 1997 Constitution.

“Timely access to justice is both a constitutional right and an administrative duty binding on all state institutions,” Justice Jaiteh emphasized. He warned that continued failure to address the issue not only undermines judicial efficiency but “may also constitute a violation of the fundamental rights of detained persons.”

In his directive, Justice Jaiteh ordered the Ministry of Interior, which oversees the Gambia Prisons Service, and the IGP to take immediate and coordinated action to ensure that all remand prisoners are produced before the courts promptly and without undue delay.

The Ministry of Interior was further instructed to:

• Conduct an urgent assessment of staffing levels within the Prisons Service, particularly focusing on the number of escort officers.
• Consider temporary redeployment or reinforcement of personnel from other security agencies, where necessary, to assist with court escort duties; and
• Review and strengthen logistical arrangements — including transportation and scheduling mechanisms — to ensure the smooth and timely conveyance of remand prisoners.

Justice Jaiteh also directed the IGP to provide full cooperation and support to the Prisons Service to prevent any further disruption to court proceedings due to logistical or staffing shortages.

He concluded with a strong reminder that all state institutions are duty-bound to uphold the rule of law and ensure that justice in The Gambia is “neither delayed nor denied.”