The Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) President, Michaela Eddinia Swallow has been appointed as Chairperson of the Transition Committee of the West African Bar Association (WABA) following a two-day conference of WABA on the theme, “Promoting Democratic Consolidation through the Respect of the Rule of Law and Human Rights: Leveraging the role of Bar Associations”.

The conference was organised to revitalise WABA, familiarise with WABA Secretariat and conduct election for new executive. The conference also served as the Annual General Meeting for WABA and provided platform to discuss challenges undermining the respect of the Rule of Law and Human Rights in the Region.  The conference resolved that election for new executive be postponed and a Transition Committee be appointed.

The Transition Committee comprises Representatives of Bar Associations from the three West African regions – Anglophone, Francophone and Luxophone. The Committee is  charged with the responsibility to review the WABA constitution and the election of new executive members scheduled for the first quarter of 2024.

The President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Madam Michaela Eddinia Swallow was unanimously appointed as Chairperson of the Transition Committee of West African Bar Association.

Madam Swallow has distinguished herself as a respected and admirable Bar Association Leader, both nationally and internationally. As President of Sierra Leone Bar Association, she has made valuable contributions in consolidating peace and democracy in Sierra Leone especially through recent efforts by the Sierra Leone Bar Association and the Commonwealth sponsored National Peace Pledge Committee in promoting peaceful, free and fair elections in the just concluded multi-tier elections.

She is also a Commissioner of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission which advises the Chief Justice on the performance of his administrative functions.

On the international stage, she was elected unopposed as a member of the prestigious Governing Council of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and highly regarded by judges in the ECOWAS Court of Justice.