By Sulaiman Aruna Sesay
Fourah Bay College’s Faculty of Law, one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in Africa, has reached yet another milestone achievement. After almost 197 years of existence, Fourah Bay College has today launched its first Postgraduate LLM program in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Criminal Justice.
The said launching took place on Wednesday 10th July, 2024 at the Multi-Purpose Hall, FBC under the auspices of the Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor, FBC respectively. The LLM program was officially launched by the Honourable Acting Chief Justice, Nicholas Browne Marke on behalf of the University of Sierra Leone.
According to report, over 50 students have already been shortlisted for the maiden program and they include lawyers, judges, politicians, professionals, journalists and civil right activists. Because of the dire need to expand access to legal education to other fields of endeavour in the country, the program has been made open to both lawyers and non- lawyers since the LLM is neither an entrance requirement into law school nor can the holder of it be transformed into a lawyer by its conferment. At the very least, it will equip non-lawyers with the requisite skills and knowledge of the law so that they will become empowered and be able to claim their rights when threatened, abused or violated.
The LLM course will run for 2 years having a component of both taught and research and the fees are quite reasonable when compared to other oversea universities in the African Continent. Some of the LLM classes will be held in the evening hours while others will be done virtually; with the program kicking off by the end of July 2024. It was reported that, the LLM program was fully accredited by the Tertiary Education Commission with subsequent approval granted by the University Senate.
Report also clearly stated that a diligent team of qualified lecturers both in the Faculty of Law and in oversea universities will make up the teaching staff of the LLM program. It is hoped that with the successful implementation of this maiden edition, other LLM programs such as LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law and LLM in Natural Resources Law and Policy will be rolled out in subsequent years.
Special thanks extended to all members of Staff in the Faculty of Law for their invaluable support towards the postgraduate program and a big Kudoos especially to the Management Team (Dr Abu Bakarr Binneh Kamara, Acting Dean of the Law Faculty, Dr Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, Head of Department, Mr Fornah Sesay, Postgraduate Coordinator and Mr Rashid Dumbuya, Undergraduate Course Coordinator and Supervisor of the Law Society) for pulling this through successfully.
