The Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law, Sierra Leone (CARL-SL) warmly welcomes the official commencement of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) 2024, which takes effect today, September 16th, 2025. This landmark piece of legislation marks a historic step forward in modernizing Sierra Leone’s justice system, replacing the outdated 1965 Act.
We acknowledge the tremendous effort invested in bringing this reform to fruition and commend all stakeholders who have worked towards strengthening fairness, efficiency, and transparency within our criminal justice system.
As we celebrate this progress, CARL-SL emphasizes the importance of accountability in its implementation. We call on all justice sector actors to ensure that the law is applied in ways that uphold its spirit and purpose, leaving no gaps that could undermine access to justice.
CARL-SL reaffirms its commitment to closely monitoring the implementation of the CPA 2024, as we have consistently done with other justice reforms, and to constructively engaging stakeholders towards building a justice system that truly serves all Sierra Leoneans.
Together, let us work to ensure that this reform delivers meaningful change in the lives of our people
End
DOWNLOAD PDF BELOW
