Dawda A. Jallow, Attorney General and Minister of Justice
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Gambia’s Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dawda A. Jallow, presented the Judicial Officers Remuneration and Other Entitlements Bill 2023 to the National Assembly on Monday for its first reading.
The bill, if enacted, would make provision for the salaries, allowances, pensions, and other entitlements of judicial officers, as well as regulate the conditions of service of the judges of the superior courts and judicial staff. It would also make provision to address all issues with respect to the welfare of judicial officers.
In the bill’s objectives and reasons, the attorney general stated that the judiciary is a crucial factor in good governance and ultimately essential to the peace and security of any nation. He added that the judiciary plays a pivotal role in administering justice and maintaining the rule of law, and is a critical player in the realm of democracy and constitutional development.
“The Judiciary of any Nation symbolise the administration of Justice under the rule of law which is a crucial factor in good governance and ultimately a sine qua non to the peace and security of any nation.
The Judiciary, therefore, play a very pivotal role in administering justice and maintaining the rule of law, ultimately it is a critical player in the realm of democracy and constitutional development and have a key role as one of the three pillars of State component. So it is in this backdrop that necessitated the need for this Bill.
The Bill is to make provisions for the enhancement and upgrading of salaries, allowances, pensions, and entitlements of judicial officers.” The objectives and reasons read.
The second reading of the bill is slated for Monday, September 11, 2023.