Lawyers’ Society Questions Legality of Halloway Tribunal Appointments
The Lawyers’ Society has expressed serious reservations about the recent swearing-in of a tribunal constituted to investigate alleged misconduct by Justice Allan B. Halloway, citing concerns over both the timing of the tribunal’s establishment and the constitutional eligibility of its members.
In a press statement issued on 10 January 2026, the Society confirmed that President Julius Maada Bio had sworn in the tribunal but observed that the panel was constituted more than three months after Justice Halloway was suspended. The Society warned that such a delay could raise questions regarding due process and the right to a fair hearing.
The Society further contended that the three appointees to the tribunal may not satisfy the criteria outlined in Section 137(5)(a) of the 1991 Constitution, which requires tribunal members to be persons qualified to hold, or who have previously held, the office of Justice of the Supreme Court.
According to the statement, one of the appointees, Justice A. M. Bangura, is currently serving as a sitting Justice of the Supreme Court, and therefore does not fall within the constitutional categories of persons “qualified to hold” or “who have held” the office, as he is neither a prospective nor a retired justice.
Concerns were also raised about the eligibility of the two other appointees, Oladipo Robin-Mason and Francis Gabbidon, whom the Society believes may have exceeded the constitutionally mandated retirement age of 65 for judges.
While welcoming President Bio’s public assurance of “a just and decisive hearing,” the Lawyers’ Society cautioned that proceeding with a tribunal whose composition may be constitutionally defective could undermine the rule of law and weaken public confidence in the judicial process.
The Society has therefore called on the Office of the President to review the appointments to ensure full compliance with constitutional requirements, emphasizing that justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done.
