POLITICAL CRAZZYNESS

The Selective Sword of “Incitement”: Selective Justice and the Soul of a Democracy. The sentencing of popular entertainer and activist Zainab Sheriff on 14 April 2026 to over four years in prison has ignited a fierce debate regarding the limits of political speech in Sierra Leone.  While the state frames the verdict as a victory for public order, the case revives a critical legal question: when does the duty to prevent disorder become a tool for systematic political suppression? The Legal Ghost: Lessons from Common Law Sierra Leone’s Public Order Act 1965  remains rooted in a broad, colonial-era interpretation of "incitement" that English Law has since largely abandoned. To secure a conviction, the state must prove three core elements: an actus reus (an act capable of persuading another to commit a crime), a mens rea (the specific intent for that crime to occur), and communication of that message THERE IS NO DENAL T...

From Common Law to Cultural Icons: The Selective Sword of “Incitement” The sentencing of Zainab Sheriff on  14 April 2026  to four years and two months in prison has ignited a fierce debate on the limits of political speech. To understand the gravity of this case, one must first understand what the state is legally required to prove to secure a conviction for incitement. The Elements of Incitement Under the traditional legal framework still active in Sierra Leone, the prosecution must prove three core elements beyond a reasonable doubt: The Actus Reus:  That the defendant performed an act (speech, writing, or gesture) capable of encouraging or persuading another to commit a crime. The Mens Rea:  That the defendant had the specific intent that the crime be committed. Communication:  That the message reached its intended audience, even if no crime was ultimately carried out. The Ghost of English Law and the "World at Large" The prosecution in the Sheri...

From Common Law to Cultural Icons: The Selective Sword of “Incitement” ZAINAB SHERIFF:JAILED 4 YEAR 2 MONTHS The sentencing of Zainab Sheriff on 14 April 2026 to four years and two months in prison has ignited a fierce debate on the limits of political speech. To understand the gravity of this case, one must first understand what the state is legally required to prove to secure a conviction for incitement. The Elements of Incitement Under the traditional legal framework still active in Sierra Leone, the prosecution must prove three core elements beyond a reasonable doubt: The Actus Reus: That the defendant performed an act (speech, writing, or gesture) capable of encouraging or persuading another to commit a crime. The Mens Rea: That the defendant had the specific intent that the crime be committed. Communication: That the message reached its intended audience, even if no crime was ultimately carried out. The Ghost of English Law and the "World at Large " The p...

You PONDER MY THOUGHTS BY                                                                      Andrew Keili                           YVONNE AKI SAWYERR: MAYOR IN A MARE’S NEST “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:3-4 The wanton attack on the new Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki Sawyerr who had barely settled down to work was indeed surprising. Stories abound as to who did and why. What is certain however is that verbal abuse of the Mayor was followed by her being hit with a stick whilst she was being driven away from her office after a meeting with the Internal Affairs Minister and the top brass of the Police. She had apparently been warned to b...