By: Mohamed Sahr
Sierra Leone Judiciary has disclaimed the watching of fake pornography video purported to be one of the judges during court proceedings making rounds on social media in a press release on Thursday 11th May 2023.
The press notice stated that the circulation of the video by the faceless person did not only contravene various provisions in the Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021, but a calculated attempt to bully a judge contrary to Section 44 (1) (a), (b) of the Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021 which is portrayed as a criminal offences under the laws of Sierra Leone and even Globally. “Those miscreants are bent on executing a campaign of calumny aimed at destroying the reputation of the Judiciary and our revered Benchers that are working so hard to give their dedicated service to national development,” Sierra Leone Judiciary wrote.
It furthered that the video is originally from Ogun State in the South-Western part of Nigeria and the person with the black robe is not a judge but a Lawyer who occupies the Bar seat reserved for lawyers; noting that not only do they strongly condemn in the strongest term such ill-motivated act aimed at dwindling the sanctity of the Court and the entire judiciary as an independent arm of government, but also they would lodge an official report to the Sierra Leone Police in order to investigate and bring the perpetrators to face the full penalty of the law.
Sierra Leone Judiciary warned the general public to desist from sharing such videos and audios that aimed at bringing the judiciary and the administration of justice into disrepute and contempt as such conduct constitutes criminal offences under the Cyber Security and Crimes Act of 2021. They promised to take stringent and appropriate action against anyone found to be in contravention of the mentioned statutes which equally announces to be contempt of Court.