Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards

Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards

Chief Justice Sierra Leone

He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB. Hons) from Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone in 1989. A year later on the 20th December 1990, he was called to the Bar, in being part of the very first set of post graduate law students having studied law from the Faculty of Law in Sierra Leone and was one of the 1st prestigious winners of Prizes at the Call Ceremony; he being the first winner of the Criminal Procedure Prize. To date, he is 33 years from call and still counting. He is amongst the oldest legal luminaries from the Sierra Leone Law School.

Justice Edwards holds an LLM in International Dispute Resolution from the University of London and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from IPAM University of Sierra Leone.

After his call and pupilage, he practiced Law in the Courts of Sierra Leone and later he secured appointment as Deputy Town Clerk at the Freetown City Council, a position he rose from to eventually become Town Clerk and Chief Executive from 1998 – 2001. He was a private Practitioner from 2001-2004.

Justice D.B. Edwards in 2004 gained employment with the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) where he became the first head of prosecutions/litigations. On the 10th of October 2006, he was appointed to the Bench as High Court Judge. In 2015, he was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal. In 2018, he was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone where he now serves as Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Chief Justice D. B. Edwards is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) since 2014 and he is one of the leading experts in the field of Arbitration in the Country. He was one of the leading proponents advocating for the reform of the Arbitration Act (Cap 25 of the Laws of Sierra Leone, 1960) and he was a Working Committee Member of the Law Reform Commission and the Ministry of Justice leading to the repeal and replacement of Cap 25, Laws of Sierra Leone, 1960 with the New Arbitration Act, 2022.

A Judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone and a recipient of the National Award Commander of the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone (CORSL).

He is a proud winner of ‘AfBA 2023 African Bar Medal of Merit in Leadership’ in recognition of his contribution to Legal Education, Access to Justice in Africa and the Growth of the African Bar Association.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Nairobi Serena Hotel

Arbitration Law Reforms: Updating Arbitration Laws for Commercial Development & Fostering Trade in Africa

Arbitration Law Reforms: Updating Arbitration Laws for Commercial Development & Fostering Trade in Africa