Eulogising Justice Tholla Thompson, Justice George Gelaga King and Justice David Gustavo Thompson while addressing bereaved families, friends and loved ones, Director of Public Prosecution, Sulaiman Bah, said he knew and gained tremendous legal guidelines and experiences from the departed judges, adding that they had carved a niche for themselves throughout their services to the country’s judicial landscape and legal profession in general.
Lawyer Bah told the gathering that the late Justice King passed away on 8 April 2015, but that before his death he had left an indelible footprint in the sand of times in the legal profession, adding that he was a fine and articulate judge who was on record to have made sound judgments based on love for his fellow countrymen.
He said the late man tried his best in the art of living but old age was uncontrollable in human existence, noting that Justice King never dragged his face to dance and public show due to his good nature.
“…coupled with the elegance of his words, he will be remembered as a devoted and brainy judge, who would deliver judgment off the cuff,” he said.
The principal state counsel recounted that late Justice King was very instrumental in the setting up of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and also played a pivotal role in ensuring that all those who bore the greatest responsibility in the country’s decade long war were tried and punished for their actions.
Lawyer Sulaiman Bah also noted that the chambers and members of the Sierra Leone Bar Association would greatly miss another illustrious and indefatigable judge, Justice David Gustavo Thompson, whom he said was called to the bar in 1990.
He further intimated that the late Gustavo Thompson served as judge in Freetown and Makeni and was one of the few lawyers by then, who represented some military officers at military court martial which was established by the then National Provisional Ruling Council junta regime.
He said the late Gustavo Thompson joined the Law Officer’s Department after graduating with LLB Honours Degree from FBC and later established his private law firm called Digital Chambers, before he was appointed high court judge.
Justice Gustavo Thompson’s death, Lawyer Bah said, was a great loss to the judiciary and the legal profession in general for his manifold experience in the legal profession and a lecturer at the Law department at FBC, who was very much accommodating and diligent.
“Many of his colleague lawyers and judges fondly referred to him as ‘Tompay’ because of his good nature and exemplary human interaction that earned him respect and honour and glory throughout a life well spent”, he said, and called on the bereaved families to take heart.
Lawyer Sulaiman Bah concluded by extending the same tributes to the families of late Justice Tholla Thompson, whom he said was also a great mind of the legal profession and a fine character that contributed tremendously to the legal profession and even died in active service as Chairman of the All Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC).
Tributes were also delivered by president of the Bar Association, Roda Sufian Kargbo, and Teddy Koroma, who heads of Digital Chambers in Freetown.
