Abdulai Hamid Charm
Chief Justice of Sierra Leone
In office
January 21, 2016 – December 19, 2018
Nominated byErnest Bai Koroma
Appointed byErnest Bai Koroma
Preceded byUmu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh
Succeeded byDesmond Babatunde Edwards
Sierra Leone Court of Appeal Judge
In office
December, 2014 – January 2016
Sierra Leone High Court Judge
In office
June 2011 – December 2014
Personal details
Born (1963-07-20) 20 July 1963[1]
Kuala, Kambia District, Sierra Leone
Residence(s)Freetown, Sierra Leone
Alma materUniversity of Pretoria
ProfessionJudge, Attorney
ReligionIslam

Abdulai Hamid Charm (born 20 July 1963) is a Sierra Leonean judge, who was formerly the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone until his resignation in December 2018.[2]

He is the first Chief Justice of Sierra Leone born outside of the capital Freetown since the establishment of the Supreme Court in 1960.[3]

Early life and education

Abdulai Hamid Charm was born in the small rural town of Kaula, Kambia District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Charm was born and raised to Muslim parents, and a Muslim himself.

Justice Charm received a Bachelor of Laws with Honours in 1990 from Fourah Bay College, and a Certificate for Call to the Bar in October 1991 from the Sierra Leone Law School.[4] In 2000 he received a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa from the University of Pretoria.[5]

Career

From 1992 to 1999 he worked for the Director of Public Prosecutions Division of the Law Officers’ Department as State Counsel, and from 1999 to 2001 as Senior State Counsel.[6] In 2001, he co-founded the first legal aid centre in Sierra Leone – the Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA) and served as Director of Litigation from 2002 to 2003.[7] From January 2002 to October 2003 he was a lawyer in private practice.

From 2003 to 2010 he worked for Sierra Leone's National Revenue Authority: as Principal Collector, Board Secretariat, and Legal Affairs from 2003 to 2005; as Deputy Commissioner, Board Secretariat, and Board Secretary from 2005 to 2007; and as Director of Policy and Legal Affairs from 2007 to 2010.[8][9] In 2010, he briefly returned to private practice before being appointed a Judge of the High Court in June 2011,[10] and then a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2014.[11][12] He was also appointed a Judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2013.[13]

He was nominated as Chief Justice by President Ernest Bai Koroma on 28 December 2015,[14] and after being approved by Parliament on 15 January 2016,[15] he was sworn in as Sierra Leone's Chief Justice on 21 January 2016,[2] succeeding retired Chief Justice Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh.

References

  1. ↑ Sorie, Abu (2016-01-14). "Why I Was Appointed As The New Chief Justice Of Sierra Leone – Abdulai Charm Reveals". Sierra Loaded. Archived from the original on 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2016-09-13. He also holds a Masters Degree in Human Rights and Allied subject from University of Pretoria and he is a fervent Muslim born in Kaula, Kambia district on 20th July 1963.
  2. 1 2 "Chief Justice, 2 Supreme Court Judges Take Oath of Office". Cocorioko. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  3. ↑ Konneh, Mohamed (2016-09-13). "Justice Abdulai Charm "Takes Lawcourt" To Kambia … receives hero's welcome". Standard Times Press. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13. This is the first Chief Justice born and bred in the provincial area and first indigenous Chief Justice.
  4. ↑ "Pass List of Students of the Sierra Leone Law School 1991" (PDF). Sierra Leone Law School. Freetown. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2016-10-18. "Abdulai H. Charm M... Date of Completion Oct. 1991
  5. ↑ Taku, Norman (2016-01-14). "Centre for Human Rights alumnus the new Chief Justice-designate of Sierra Leone". University of Pretoria. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  6. ↑ "President Koroma of Sierra Leone sacks senior ministers". The Sierra Leone Times. 2015-12-28. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  7. ↑ Seibureh, Ibrahim (2011-08-02). "Sierra Leone: Free Legal Assistance Launched". Concord Times. Freetown. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13 – via AllAfrica. A free legal assistance known as Lawyers Centre for Legal assistance (LAWCLA) was launched last week at the Santana House, Howe Street, Freetown. The Centre was founded by Abdulai Charm, Melron C.
  8. ↑ "National Revenue Authority Commissioner General Job...Nine Applicants Face Interview Panel This Week". Standard Times Press. Freetown. 2007-12-16. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13. Abdulai Charm is the legal adviser of the National Revenue Authority.
  9. ↑ Bangura, Jariatu (2008-11-25). "Sierra Leone: NRA Officers Receive Certificates of Excellence". Concord Times. Freetown. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13 – via AllAfrica. Similar statements were made by Abdulai Charm, Director of Policy and Legal Affairs...
  10. ↑ Bangura, Jariatu (2011-06-08). "Sierra Leone: Youth Commissioner, 7 Others Approved". Concord Times. Freetown. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13 – via AllAfrica. Others approved include, Musu Damba Kamara and Hamid Abdulai Charm as High Court judges...
  11. ↑ Samba, Augustine (2014-12-15). "Parliament Approves 6 Judges, 3 Board Members". Awareness Times. Freetown. Archived from the original on 2015-01-18. Retrieved 2016-10-18. Hon. Justice Abdulai Hamid Charm appeared before Parliament as Justice of the Court of Appeal.
  12. ↑ "Second Report of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service of Parliamentary Vetting of Presidential Nominations" (PDF). Parliament of Sierra Leone. Freetown. 2014-12-09. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2016-10-18. Hon. Justice Abdulai Hamid Charm – Proposed Justice of the Court of Appeal.
  13. ↑ "RSCSL Roster of Judges". The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone. Archived from the original on 2016-07-04. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  14. ↑ "Press Release". The Republic of Sierra Leone State House. 2015-12-28. Archived from the original on 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-09-13. ...it has pleased his excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to appoint Hon. Justice Hamid Abdulai Charm as Chief Justice, subject to the approval of Parliament.
  15. ↑ Sorie, Abu (2016-01-16). "Parliament Approves New Chief Justice, Agric. Minister And 6 Others". Sierra Loaded. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-13. Members of Parliament yesterday approved the newly appointed Chief Justice, Hamid Abdulai Cham along with the Minister of Agriculture, Professor Monty P Jones and 6 others to fill vacant public offices.
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