By Arret Jatta
The National Assembly passed two bills in to law (the Special Accountability Mechanism bill TRRC) and (the Special Prosecutor’s Office bill. These bills were passed after going through first and second reading at the parliament on Monday 22nd April.
The minister of justice Hon. Dawda A Jallow who read the Special Accountability Mechanism (SAM) bill said the bill if it is an act, it will “provide a framework and guiding principles for the establishment of a Special Accountability Mechanism for the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of cases of serious human rights violations and international and domestic crimes specified in or related to acts and omissions described in the report of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that have occurred between July 1994 and January 2017”.
He also read the Special Prosecutor’s Office(SPO) bill as follows, “an act to establish an independent and autonomous Special Prosecutor’s Office as the first phase in establishing the Special Accountability Mechanism for the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of cases of serious human rights violations and international crimes and domestic crimes specified in or related to acts and omissions described in the report of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), which occurred between July 1994 and January 2017; to provide for the protection of witnesses, victims and whistle blowers; to promote and foster a national culture of accountability and respect for human rights; and to enforce The Gambia’s obligations under national and international law”.
This two bills are said to be enacted by the President and the National Assembly .
This bills were introduced during the first extraordinary session of the legislative year 2024.
