Chief Justice Inaugurates New Offices for General Legal Council

By Musa Saho

His Lordship, the Honorable Chief Justice of The Gambia, Hassan B. Jallow on Friday, 10th February 2023 presided over the inauguration of the first-ever office premises of the General Legal Council at a ceremony held in Banjul.

The council is a statutory body established under the Legal Practitioners Act to regulate admission to legal practice; uphold standards of professional conduct and provide for legal education in The Gambia.

The General Legal Council is chaired by the Honorable Chief Justice of The Gambia, Hassan B. Jallow while the Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dawda A. Jallow is the vice-chair of the council.

Inaugurating the premises, the Honorable Chief Justice underscored the importance of getting the infrastructure in place to enhance service delivery and sustain gains made by the council over the years.

Speaking on behalf of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Abdoulie Colley, the Registrar General, reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to passing an amendment for the disciplinary committee to discharge its functions and responsibilities according to law.

He added that in the previous years, the committee found it difficult to deliver on their mandates because of a lack of quorum to seat on important state cases.

He said this amendment will ensure disciplinary matters are fast-tracked and dealt with according to the law.

In his part, the President of the Gambia Bar Association, Mr. Salieu Taal said, the establishment of a secretariat for the General Legal Council was a welcoming development, as it will go a long way to aid the work of the council and makes it more efficient and effective to deliver on its mandates.

 “I am happy to note that steps have been taken to amend the Legal Practitioners Act to position the council better to handle complaints and regulate admission to legal practice among other functions,” he concluded.