The Gambia’s judiciary established an Interdepartmental Committee to examine and reform the current system in an effort to solve the ongoing inefficiencies that plague land dispute adjudication in the country.
Chief Justice Hassan B. Jallow’s chambers hosted the committee’s first meeting last week, which was presided over by Superior Courts Justice B.V.P. Mahoney. Senior members of the judiciary, representatives from the Ministry of Justice, and Hamat N.K. Bah, Minister of Regional Government, Lands, and Religious Affairs, were among the important authorities who attended the meeting.
The Interdepartmental Committee charged with examining the land dispute adjudication system met for the first time in The Gambia’s court. This crucial conference, which was held in His Lordship the Hon. Chief Justice’s chambers, was a major step toward resolving persistent issues in the settlement of property disputes. The judiciary said in a statement after the session that the initiative’s main goal is to improve efficiency and speed up the adjudication process in land disputes.
By December 15, 2025, the group, which is made up of senior government and legal professionals, is supposed to present the Chief Justice with a thorough set of recommendations, including possible draft legislation.
The Solicitor General and Legal Secretary, the Judicial Secretary, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Lands, the President of the Gambia Bar Association, the Executive Secretary of the Gambia Law Reform Commission, and two judges from the Superior Courts are among the committee members.
Two judges from the Superior Courts, the Solicitor General and legal secretary, the Judicial Secretary, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Government, Lands, and Religious Affairs, the President of the Gambia Bar Association, and the Executive Secretary of the Gambia Law Reform Commission are among the many legal and governmental professionals who make up the Committee. The committee’s chairman will be Hon. Justice BVP Mahoney, a Superior Court judge, according to the judiciary announcement.
The judiciary has declared its intention to appoint a legal consultant with experience in land adjudication to assist the committee in its work.
The committee’s formation is a response to rising dissatisfaction with the drawn-out and frequently controversial procedure of settling land disputes nationwide. Officials anticipate that the committee’s collaborative approach, which encompasses the legal, executive, and judicial sectors, will result in long-lasting improvements.
The statement came to the conclusion that “this first meeting highlights the dedication of all members to cooperatively enhance the land dispute resolution system for the benefit of all Gambia citizens.”
