Reports & Articles
Listed below are the titles and links to reports and articles that have been written and produced by AdvocAid. These have been produced to support campaigns we’re running, and raise awareness about human rights issues affecting girls and women in detention in Sierra Leone.
Title: Intersessional report on the human rights impact of Covid-19 emergency measures
Year: 2021
Report aims to address the four key elements of the previous
intersessional report and provides an overview of information received to address each: declarations of states of emergency or disaster; substantive elements of the declaration; sanctions imposed for violations; human rights impact of the declaration and its enforcement.
Year: 2021
AdvocAid’s submission to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the human rights impact of COVID 19 emergency measures.
Year: 2021
Summary:
The Memorandum was prepared by Prepared by AdvocAid, Professor Carolyn Hoyle, Director of the Death Penalty Research Unit at the University of Oxford, and The Death Penalty Project (UK).
It provides up-to-date information on the global trends and on the administration of the death penalty in Sierra Leone that reinforces the justification for abolition.
Title: Memorandum on the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Sierra Leone
Year: 2021
Summary:
The Memorandum was prepared by Prepared by AdvocAid, Professor Carolyn Hoyle, Director of the Death Penalty Research Unit at the University of Oxford, and The Death Penalty Project (UK).
It provides information regarding punishments to be enacted to replace the death penalty
Title: Workshop on Legal Rights and the Impact of COVID-19 on
Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
Year: 2021
AdvocAid in partnership with UN WOMEN organized a day workshop for 18 newly released women and girls. They shared stories on the COVID 19 pandemic impacts on both newly and formerly released women to assess legal aid services, levels and trends of violence and current situation of women in prisons. The formerly incarcerated women and girls developed advocacy messages to target key stakeholders on issues relating to their legal rights.
Title:
Year: 2020
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sierra Leone government put in place measures to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19 including a one-year public health State of Public Emergency on 24th March, 2020. The measures, though commendable, have to be applied within the context of human rights and Sierra Leone’s obligations thereof.
These reports gathered in April and May of 2020 focus on findings with regard to human rights protection and promotion, especially of the vulnerable.
Title: Woman Wahala Na Prison – Causes And Consequences of Women’s Imprisonment in Sierra Leone
Year: 2020
Summary: This study focuses on the causes and consequences of women’s
imprisonment in Sierra Leone, and compares policy and practice around
women’s detention against the country’s obligations under international
standards and human rights law. It presents the findings of a research
project carried out by two human rights organizations, the Cyrus R. Vance
Center for International Justice and AdvocAid. Press Release.
Title: Decriminalising Poverty In Sierra Leone: Call For Reform Of Petty Offences.
Year: 2019
Summary:
AdvocAid and CARL’s baseline research report included (1) legal analysis of petty offences enshrined in Sierra Leonean law, (2) research on how those laws are used within the criminal justice system, and (3) research on prevailing attitudes towards petty offences among justice sector actors.
In writing this position paper, AdvocAid and CARL have used insights from this baseline research report, additional consultations with affected populations, and our ongoing work representing individuals in conflict with the law to highlight key findings and recommend strategies and reforms to address these issues
Year: 2018
AdvocAid Submission to the United Nations Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice. Prepared by Sabrina Mahtani, Rebecca Wood, Simitie Lavaly, Holly Howe, Signe Roelsgaard Nielsen, Julie Mariama Sesay, Josephine Hinga and Kadija Bangura.
Title: Criminalisation of Abortion in Sierra Leone
Year: 2016
Summary: A briefing paper by AdvocAid, urging President Ernest Bai Koroma to sign the Safe Abortion Bill into law in Sierra Leone, to enhance human rights of women and prevent needless deaths. Press Release.
Year: 2017
Summary: Global Prison Trends 2017 is the third edition in Penal Reform International’s annual Global Prison Trends series, which identifies the topical developments and challenges in criminal justice and prison policy and practice. AdvocAid contributed some key information to this report.
Title: Pay No Bribe for Bail
Year: 2015
Summary: A policy report on corruption within the bail system in Sierra Leone, produced as part of AdvocAid’s ASJP funded ‘Pay no Bribe For Bail’ campaign, launched in October 2015.
Title: Stay at Home Report
Year: 2015
Summary: A report on AdvocAid’s findings and recommendations following a monitoring exercise of police stations during the Ebola three day ‘lockdown’ in March 2015.
Title: Women, Debt and Detention
Year: 2012
Summary: An Exploratory Report on Fraudulent Conversion and the Criminalisation of Debt in Sierra Leone. Find the responses to FAQ’s around Women, Debt and Detention.
Title: Justice for Girls
Year: 2011
Summary: A report concerning girls in conflict with the law and sexual exploitation in Sierra Leone. Produced in conjunction with African Prisons Project, Justice Studio and Defence for Children.
Title: 21 Days: Enough Time to Save Your Neck
Year: 2011
Summary: A briefing paper on the restricted time limits to appeal for those sentenced to death, produced when providing legal representation to Sierra Leone’s longest serving woman on death row.
Title: Children Living in Prison: Insights from Sierra Leone
Year: 2008
Summary: A research report prepared for the Quaker United Nations Office around the impact of prison on children, and reforms required. Contact QUNO for more information on their work.