Attorney-General Spearheads New Efforts to Standardize SGBV Justice Responses

Attorney-General Spearheads New Efforts to Standardize SGBV Justice Responses

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay has initiated discussions with key partners to develop new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) intended to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) offenses across the nation.

The engagement, which took place on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, involved representatives from Legal Access Through Women Yearning for Equality, Rights and Social Justice (L.A.W.Y.E.R.S.) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

These organizations are serving as implementing partners under the United Nations Spotlight Initiative, which aims to reinforce the justice and security sectors to foster a survivor-centered response to SGBV.

During the meeting, the focus remained on the advancement of SOPs designed to establish clear, harmonized procedures for investigating and prosecuting cases while enhancing institutional coordination.

Attorney-General Sesay stated that effective accountability for SGBV relies heavily on robust coordination across the justice sector. He further explained that the discussions emphasized creating clear frameworks to strengthen collaboration among various institutions, enhance the quality of investigations, and ensure that prosecutions are both timely and effective.

Highlighting the future trajectory of these efforts, the Attorney-General noted that this engagement represents a significant step in a broader consultative process. He indicated that upcoming discussions will expand to include the Sierra Leone Police, the health sector, the judiciary, and other institutions involved in the justice delivery chain.

Concluding his remarks, Sesay added that their collective objective is to construct a more coordinated, survivor-centered, and accountable system for addressing SGBV in Sierra Leone. 

These efforts are part of a wider push under the UN Spotlight Initiative to improve system-wide responses to violence against women and girls and to broaden access to justice for survivors.