Justice El Hadji Malick Sow of Senegal(right, photo) was sworn in Friday as an alternate Judge of the Special Court’s Trial Chamber II.
Justice Sow made his solemn declaration before Acting Registrar Herman von Hebel at a special ceremony held in the Court’s landmark courthouse in Freetown. Court President Justice George Gelaga-King then gave the closing address.
The solemn declaration was witnessed by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Mr Frederick Carew on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone. Mr Kedar Poudal, the Human Rights Co-ordinator at UNIOSIL’s Rule of Law Unit attended on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Justice Sow was joined by his fellow Judges from the Trial and Appeals Chambers, led by Justice King. Members of the diplomatic corps, Special Court staff, and journalists were also in attendance.
Justice Sow is the first alternate Judge at the Special Court. He will join Justice Julia Sebutinde of Uganda, Justice Richard Lussick of Samoa, and Justice Teresa Doherty of Northern Ireland to hear evidence in the Special Court’s trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor at The Hague.
In accordance with Article 12 (4) of the Statute of the Special Court, Justice Sow will be present at each stage of the trial, and will replace a Judge if that Judge is unable to continue sitting.
Justice Sow has extensive experience in Senegal’s judiciary, both at the regional and national level. From 1984 to 1990 he served in various capacities as Judge of the Regional Tribunals of Ziguinchor and Diourbel the Labor Tribunal of Dakar.
Since 1994, Justice Sow has served as Judge in a number of Senegalese courts, including the Première Chambre Sociale, the Première Chambre Civile et Commerciale, and the Troisième Chambre Correctionnelle, the Chambre d’Accusation, and the Première Chambre Correctionnelle of the Court of Appeals of Dakar.
In November 2006 he was named President of the Criminal Chamber of the Appeals Court in Dakar.
Justice Sow also worked as a Technical Advisor to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice, respectively.
Justice Sow received his Masters (L.L.M) in International and Comparative Law from the Southern Methodist University, in Texas in 2004, and his L.L.M in Private and Business Law from the University of Dakar in 1982.
Press and Public Affairs Office
Special Court for Sierra Leone.
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