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Front Page

MELRON C. NICOL-WILSON
DIRECTOR

Melron Nicol-Wilson is founder and Director of the Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance Trust, and also the Managing Partner of Nicol-Wilson & Co. Mr. Nicol-Wilson received a Master's Degree in Law (LL.M) specializing in International Criminal Justice and Armed Conflict from the University of Nottingham in the United kingdom, and a Master's Degree in Law (LL.M) specializing in Human Rights and Constitutionsalism from University of Pretoria in South Africa. He received a diploma in Equal Status and Human Rights of Women from the University of Lund in Sweden and a certificate in Human Rights Teaching and Research from the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He completed Undergraduate Legal Studies at the Fourah Bay College and Professional legal studies at the Sierra Leone Law School. He is also a former Human Rights Law Teaching Fellow, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School, New York.

Before establishing LAWCLA, he worked in several legal professional capacities: as a Private Legal Practitioner in Sierra Leone; as a consultant for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Namibia; as a Public Law Lecturer at the Polytechnic of Namibia; and as a Protection Officer for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Branch Office in Sierra Leone.

In addition to representing numerous clients before various domestic courts in Sierra Leone, he has also represented an indictee before the Special Court for Sierra Leone. He continues to lecture on International Law and Human Rights Law at the University of Sierra Leone. He was awarded Sierra Leone Lawyer of the Year for 2003, and African Human Rights Lawyer in 2006.

Mr. Nicol-Wilson has a number of publications to his credit including co-authoring a Handbook on Human Rights for the Namibian Police, a Handbook on the Need for the Reform of Discriminatory Laws against Women in Sierra Leone and a Handbook for Paralegals in Sierra Leone. His article on Accountability for Human Rights Abuses in Sierra Leone was published in the Australian International Law Journal (2001) and his article on the Sierra Leone Special Court, Rwandan and Yugoslavian Tribunals was published in the Australian Law Journal (2002). He has also developed a Training Manual on Juveniles in the Criminal Justice System in Sierra Leone. Additionally, he has written a study guide on Human Rights, Administrative Law, and Statutory and Constitutional Interpretation for the Polytechnic of Namibia.

SALMATTA SANDI
ADMINISTRATOR

Salmatta A. Sandi hold a Bachelor's Degree with Honours in Geology from Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone. After graduating from the University, she served as a teacher at the Annie Walsh Memorial School. She was very instrumental in putting together the Integrated Science text book for Junior Secondary School, using her maiden name as Miss Ibrahim.

After leaving the teaching filed, she subsequently worked with ActionAid Sierra Leone in several units i.e. Gender Nutrition and Health, Advocacy and the Private Sector. She was focal and contact person for the Management Systems International (MSI) Entrepreneurship Development/Training Programme which was installed in Sierra Leone in September 2001. As a Certified Master Trainer for that programme she has trained over one hundred Sierra Leonean Entrepreneurs throughout Sierra Leone.

She has developed and made presentations on Action Aid Sierra Leone Country Strategy Paper and the ActionAid Mano River Strategy Paper which is now being implemented by the ActionAid Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

She lectures at the Department of Geology, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. She is a passionate mother and a believer in the culture of Women's empowerment, Development and Rights.

ANSUMANA I. SESAY
HEAD OF LITIGATIONS

Ansumana Sesay studied Law at Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone and at the Sierra Leone Law School, where he was called to the Bar in 1998. He is a Partner in the Law Firm of Franklyn Kargbo and Company where he practices in Criminal and Constitutional Law. He has represented clients in all courts in Sierra Leone for very serious offences such as fraud, murder and treason. He is an expert in Sierra Leone domestic criminal law and procedure.

As head of the Centre's Litigation Unit, he deals with impact litigation cases and constitutional test cases on behalf of individuals, groups and communities.

 

ABDUL D. KPOSOWA
RESEARCH & TRAINING OFFICER

He holds a Bachelor Degree with Honours from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. Before graduating as one of the first crop of Mass Communication graduate, he pursued a certificate in Journalism and a Diploma in Mass Communication in 1994 and 1998 academic years respectively.

He has worked with several newspapers and publishing houses in Sierra Leone including the "Liberty Voice", The Chronicle, Unity Now and the Standard Times.

He earlier on served LAWCLA as a volunteer staff in the early years of its formation.

Whilst studying at the University he was called upon to serve the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Sierra Leone as a Statement Coder in 2002.

Kposowa has written series of newspaper articles on human rights, gender sensitivity, advocacy and a whole range of feature articles on redeeming the dignity of the human person.

He had represented LAWCLA on Civil Society Movement Conferences within Sierra Leone and has represented the organisation interest on Workshops, Seminars and Consultative Conferences in Sierra Leone. And outside Sierra Leone he had represented LAWCLA on a sub-regional Human Rights Educational Conference on Torture - organised by Amnesty International in Senegal- Dakar in 2005.

Besides his official capacity, he is an ordained Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the New Life Ministries, Church of God in Christ (COGIC) International in December, 2005 Conference Session.

ABDUL SAMAD KAMARA
ADVOCACY & INFORMATION OFFICER

Abdul Samad Kamara holds a Bachelors Degree with Honours from Fourah Bay College. He has edited several newspapers in the country.  He worked briefly at then United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).  He was one of the reporters who covered the Parliamentary and presidential elections in 2002.

Mr. Kamara has a professional experience spanning over five years in Public Relations, Human Rights, Legal Aid and Community Development.

He has worked as a social worker and relief officer for non-governmental organizations. He also worked as a project officer for the implementation of the Quick Impact Action Plan supported by S.R.R.P and U.N.D.P.

Mr. Kamara has written many articles in social, economic and political issues, and he has attended workshops and seminars.

The Advocacy and Information Officer joined the lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance in 2003 as an Information Officer and he is in charge of media relations and the co-ordination of all publications produced by the centre.

 FESTUS ROBIN TAYLOR
LEGAL OFFICER

Festus Robin-Taylor is a Sierra Leonean.  He is a graduate of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone with both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees, and with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Judicial and Legal Studies from the Sierra Leone School of Law awarded by the Council of Legal Education. He is an accredited Legal Executive.  He is trained in criminal and corruption investigations both ordinary and advanced. He had also acquired training in the following disciplines: Microsoft Application Packages (Windows 98), Effective Supervision  and  Management Skills, Financial  Management and  Financial Reporting  for Financial and Non-Financial Manager and The Role of the Prosecutor: Pre-Trial Case Development.

Festus Robin-Taylor is presently the Legal Officer of Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA).

Before joining the Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA), he worked for the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission since its inception in 2000, as a cadet Investigation Officer.  In March 2003, he was promoted to the position of a Senior Investigation Officer and acted as Principal Investigation Officer on several occasions.  On the 1st January 2006, he was again promoted to the position of Head of the Investigations Department and in February that same year, administrative responsibility of the Intelligence Department was also added to his duties. He held those positions until 8st of February 2008.

Festus Robin-Taylor was a Member of The Law Reform Task Force and Technical Committee on the Anti-Corruption Act 2000 (as Amended).

Festus Robin-Taylor is a member of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Slum Project Steering Committee.