By Yankuba Jallow
The Law Society of The Gambia and the Gambia Bar Association on Monday paid tribute to Chief Justice Hassan B. Jallow during a farewell ceremony held at the Superior Courts Complex in Banjul, describing him as a jurist whose career has shaped the country’s legal system and strengthened public confidence in the judiciary.
The ceremony, held ahead of Justice Jallow’s retirement on August 1, brought together senior members of the judiciary, government officials, members of the legal profession, diplomats and guests to honour a man whose legal career has spanned almost five decades.
Among those who delivered tributes were Lamin K. Mboge, President of the Law Society of The Gambia, and Neneh M.C. Cham, President of the Gambia Bar Association. Both organisations are professional associations representing lawyers in The Gambia.
Speaking on behalf of the Law Society, Lamin K. Mboge described the occasion as one of the most significant moments in the country’s judicial history.
“Today we are gathered here to mark a very, very important occasion. A great day for the history of The Gambia,” Mboge said.
“A day that the first Gambian Chief Justice is retiring voluntarily from office. A day that marks a great day for the success of the democracy that we have built for the past decade. A day that marks the significance of the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law that my Lord has built over the past decade as Chief Justice of The Gambia from 2017 to date.”
Mboge said Justice Jallow’s retirement marked the end of an era for the Gambian judiciary.
“If I want to find a word to describe the knowledge that we are losing today, I hope my Lord will not go with the encyclopedia of words and phrases and meanings together with Chief, but will leave some for us so that we can always refer to the remainder of your valuable judgments and decisions that you have made in your office as Chief Justice.”
He continued: “Today we are gathered again to mark the end of an era and to pay tribute to a towering figure in the dispensation of justice in The Gambia. A tribute to a public servant who served diligently throughout his career as Chief Justice of the Republic of The Gambia.”
Mboge noted that Justice Jallow’s legal career had stretched over five decades and highlighted his nearly ten years as Chief Justice.
“After five decades in legal service and after serving The Gambia as Chief Justice, if my memory serves me right, from the 15th of February 2017 up to date is just a few weeks or months before my Lord will have 10 years as Chief Justice of the Republic of The Gambia. This is a record, and that legacy has been built by my Lord as the Chief Justice of The Gambia.”
He said Justice Jallow’s reputation extended well beyond The Gambia.
“My Lord is widely known not only in The Gambia, not only in Africa, but in the entire world for his role at the United Nations as a prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda since 2003.”
Mboge said Justice Jallow had also served as the first prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and had contributed significantly to international criminal justice.
“My Lord has also been a prosecutor of war crimes and has set a precedent for international criminal justice. So what we are losing today is not only a Chief Justice but an international jurist as well.”
Turning to Justice Jallow’s leadership of the judiciary, Mboge said the retiring Chief Justice had overseen reforms and institutional rebuilding.
“My Lord has led the judiciary through reforms and rebuilding, and we thank you, my Lord, for all your efforts that you have made to build the judiciary to the position where it stands today.”
He credited Justice Jallow with strengthening relations between judges and lawyers.
“My Lord has had so much success in the administration of justice and building a bridge between the bench and the bar, and that makes our work very, very easy.”
Mboge also praised Justice Jallow’s commitment to judicial independence.
“My Lord has been vigilant in partnership to ensure that the judiciary is independent, and that is key, a legacy that he has built to ensure that there is impartiality in the dispensation of justice, and he does so without fear and without favour.”
He said the judiciary’s support staff had also benefited from Justice Jallow’s leadership.
“My Lord has increased the determination to keep the machinery of justice functioning since his assumption of office and ensure that the judiciary has remained independent and efficient, and we thank you, my Lord, for that.”
Mboge said one of Justice Jallow’s most significant achievements was the localisation of the judiciary otherwise known to many as the Gambianisation of the Judiciary.
“For the first time, my Lord, we have a Gambian Supreme Court. When I say Gambian Supreme Court, I mean a Supreme Court that is entirely Gambian and not only the Supreme Court, but my Lord has ensured that the Court of Appeal, the High Court and all other courts are now manned by Gambians.”
He added: “Now we have very few sisters and brothers from the neighbouring countries and I’m sure that legacy of my Lord is a legacy that we will remember throughout our career.”
Mboge described Justice Jallow as one of the country’s finest judicial officers.
“The characteristics of my Lord, if you want to enumerate them all here today, will take us the whole day, but I can personally attest to the fact that we have one of the greatest judges or chief judges in the history of The Gambia, the one who dispenses justice without fear, without malice and without envy.”
He added that Justice Jallow had remained a defender of constitutionalism and human rights.
“He is a defender of human rights, a defender of the Constitution of The Gambia and ensures that every decision that has been passed not only by the Supreme Court but all other courts in The Gambia is free from interference.”
Mboge also referred to Justice Jallow’s recent election as Chairman of the Advisory Council of Elders of the African Chief Justices Forum.
“This is an honour not only for my Lord in person but for The Gambia as a nation and for our judiciary as a Chief Justice that we all look upon as a hero and as an academic.”
Reflecting on Justice Jallow’s own remarks about his legacy, Mboge quoted the retiring Chief Justice as saying he hoped people would see that he had simply “tried his best.”
“When asked what are your hopes as your legacy, my Lord said, ‘I hope they will see that I tried my best and I did what I could.’”
Mboge responded: “We all know that my Lord has tried your best and with the support of the bar and the bench, my Lord has been able to lift the judiciary from where he picked it in tumultuous waters and set it safe for whoever is going to be his successor.”
He thanked Justice Jallow on behalf of the Law Society.
“On behalf of the Gambia Law Society, on behalf of the bench and on behalf of the people of The Gambia, my Lord, we say thank you very much for your unwavering support.”
Mboge further praised Justice Jallow’s integrity.
“We thank you for your honesty because to be a leader you lead by example and all will agree with me that we have one of the most honest Chief Justices in the history of The Gambia, a man of honour and a man of integrity.”
He added, “We thank you for your commitment to the rule of law. We thank you for your advancement of human rights and we thank you for defending our Constitution.”
He concluded by wishing Justice Jallow a healthy and fulfilling retirement.
“As you depart today from the bench, my heart and my thoughts and my prayers shall always be with you, my Lord. We wish you a restful retirement. We wish you very good health and continued wisdom in the service to The Gambia, to Africa and to the dream of justice.”
Speaking on behalf of the Gambia Bar Association, President Neneh M.C. Cham also paid tribute to Justice Jallow’s career and described his retirement as a historic moment.
“This morning we gather on a solemn occasion to mark a moment of profound significance in the judicial history of our nation, and that is to bid farewell to His Lordship the Honourable Chief Justice, whose name is synonymous with integrity, scholarship and devotion to justice.”
Cham said Justice Jallow was the first sitting Gambian Chief Justice to retire from office.
“I believe it is the first time that a sitting Gambian Chief Justice is retiring from office.”
She traced his career from his early years in public service.
“My Lord, Chief Justice’s service to the legal profession spans almost 50 years. Having begun his career at the Attorney General’s Chambers in 1976 as State Counsel, my Lord rose through the ranks of Principal State Counsel, Acting Registrar General, Solicitor General and Legal Secretary and Attorney General, a position that he held for ten years.”
She also recalled his earlier appointment to the Supreme Court before taking up international judicial responsibilities.
“After a brief stint in private practice, my Lord was appointed Justice of the Supreme Court of The Gambia, where he served for about five years before leaving our shores onto the international stage.”
Cham highlighted Justice Jallow’s work as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
“One of the most prominent of which was Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, prosecuting serious crimes, genocide among them, where he consistently demonstrated a rare combination of intellectual rigour, humility and moral clarity.”
She said his appointment as Chief Justice in 2017 came at an important moment in the country’s democratic transition.
“My Lord would return to the Supreme Court of The Gambia in 2017, this time as the Honourable Chief Justice.”
“His arrival as Chief Justice restored confidence in the judiciary at a time when our nation sought renewal. Under his leadership, the judiciary has reclaimed its rightful stature as an independent, credible and accessible guardian of the rule of law.”
Cham described Justice Jallow’s judicial decisions as evidence of his commitment to justice.
“His erudite judgments in the court speak for themselves.”
She praised his leadership style.
“My Lord, your leadership style has been one of quiet strength, calm authority and certainly firm when necessary. My Lord is patient when required, with humility and always guided by the law.”
Cham said Justice Jallow had also mentored lawyers and judges.
“He has been a mentor to many, both on the bench and at the bar.”
She added, “As President of the Gambia Bar Association, I have first-hand experience of his openness to constructive engagement. His respect for legal practitioners is felt by all of us who have learned a lot from him.”
Cham said Justice Jallow had consistently sought solutions to challenges affecting the administration of justice.
“My Lord is a visionary leader who is always working to find solutions to the numerous challenges facing the judiciary and the administration of justice.”
She listed several reforms introduced during his tenure.
“The Gambia Bar Association pays special tribute to his Lordship’s commitment to institutional strengthening. His has been a tenure marked by judicial reforms that improved efficiency, transparency and public trust.”
Among the reforms she mentioned were capacity-building programmes for judges, magistrates and court staff, the establishment of the Commercial Division and the Special Criminal Division of the High Court, digitisation of court processes, improved case management systems, expansion of alternative dispute resolution, revision of the High Court Rules and amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act.
Cham also highlighted progress within the General Legal Council.
“My Lord’s leadership of the General Legal Council has seen remarkable progress in the work of the Council.”
She referred to the opening of the Council’s first office on Nelson Mandela Street in Banjul.
“Prior to that, Chief Justice shared his office because he also is the Chairman of the General Legal Council.”
Cham also commended Justice Jallow’s commitment to judicial independence.
“My Lord’s principled insistence on judicial independence throughout his tenure is admirable.”
She said the reforms had benefited members of the public seeking justice.
“These achievements have positively impacted the daily lives of those seeking justice through the courts and they will endure long after my Lord leaves office.”
Cham recalled that the Gambia Bar Association had hosted a dinner in honour of Justice Jallow days before the farewell ceremony.
“The Gambia Bar Association therefore deemed it fit to host a dinner in his honour this last Saturday to celebrate him and to express our gratitude for the service he has rendered to the legal profession, to the nation and the international community at large.”
She described Justice Jallow as “a collaborator and a guardian of the values we collectively uphold.”
She added, “His Lordship’s legacy will certainly continue to shape our jurisprudence, our institutions and our understanding of justice.”
Cham also shared a personal memory about the retiring Chief Justice’s punctuality.
“My Lord is very, very punctual. He is part of the old guard and he once told me, ‘Before time is not time, after time is not time, on time is on time.’ And I remember that.”
Concluding her tribute, Cham thanked Justice Jallow on behalf of the legal profession.
“My Lord, the Honourable Chief Justice, on behalf of the members of the Gambia Bar Association, I extend our profound appreciation to you.”
“We wish you continued fulfilment, good health and the satisfaction of knowing that you have served your country with distinction, honour and unshakeable fidelity to the rule of law and the pursuit of justice.”
The farewell ceremony formed part of activities marking Justice Hassan B. Jallow’s retirement from office after nearly ten years as Chief Justice and almost five decades in the legal profession. It brought together members of the judiciary, the executive, the legislature, the diplomatic community, legal practitioners and court officials to recognise his service to The Gambia’s justice system and international criminal justice.
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