The Council for Legal Education has appointed Honourable Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi, Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, as Acting Director of the Sierra Leone Law School.
The appointment reflects the Council’s continued commitment to strengthening leadership and improving the quality of professional legal training in the country. Justice Alhadi brings extensive judicial experience, integrity, and a strong background in both legal practice and legal education.
The Sierra Leone Law School, operating under the Council for Legal Education established by the Council of Legal Education Act of 1989, remains the principal institution responsible for the professional training of lawyers and the administration of bar examinations in Sierra Leone.
As Acting Director, Justice Alhadi is expected to provide strategic leadership, uphold academic and professional standards, and ensure the effective administration of the institution during this transitional period.
The Council expressed confidence that her appointment will contribute significantly to the advancement of legal education and the continued development of competent legal practitioners in Sierra Leone.
Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi has served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone since May 2025. Prior to this, she served as a Justice of the Court of Appeal from 2020 to 2025, and as a Judge of the High Court from 2015 to 2020. Since 2018, she has also lectured at the Sierra Leone Law School in various subjects.
Her earlier professional experience includes serving as counsel for Guaranty Trust Bank Limited from 2009 to 2013 and 2014 to 2015. In 2014, she served as Head of Legal Affairs at the Financial Intelligence Unit, now the Financial Intelligence Agency of Sierra Leone.
From 2007 to 2009, she worked as a prosecutor in the Law Officers’ Department of the Ministry of Justice. Between 2004 and 2006, she practiced as a barrister in private practice, during which she was appointed by the Special Court for Sierra Leone as an independent prosecutor for criminal contempt proceedings and later served as an investigator.
Justice Alhadi was educated in Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Surrey and studied law at Middlesex University, the Bar Council of England and Wales, and the Sierra Leone Law School. She also obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Finance and Banking Law from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.