The ceremony also attracted battery of legal practitioners drawn from Freetown, Bo, Kenema and Kailahun districts respectively.
In his opening statement, Chairman for the ceremony who also doubles as the Registrar for Njala University, Aly Turay described the ceremony as an epoch making event adding that they had over the years thought professionally and discussed lengthily about the many issues that require the development of a law curriculum in Njala University.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Bo Campus, Professor Andrew Baimba said studying law equip students with a variety of transferable skills including critical analysis, presentation and writing, noting that law is important as it combines theory and practice.
High Court Judge and Head of Department, Faculty of Law in Fourah Bay College-University of Sierra Leone, Dr. Binneh Kamara said he together with Dr. Josephus Brima had for over seven years ago discussed ideas about inaugurating the law programme in Njala University, which he now described as a dream come true.
With the wide range of contributions from Dr. Josephus Brima whom he said holds five degrees in different academic disciplines, a PHD in Philosophy and a Masters in Law with over twenty years classroom experience in Sierra Leone and Abroad, High Court Judge Dr. Binneh Kamara said a lot has been done by them in developing the law curriculum which he said dovetails with international standards.
Dilating on the issue of entry requirement for admission, High Court Judge Dr. Binneh Kamara said lots of concerns have been raised by scholars at the Sierra Leone Law School, practitioners, Judges from the Superior Courts of Judicature among others about the need to maintain standards especially among scholars of law in the country.
In view of this he said the program will span for a period of 3 years stressing that admissions into the law program at Njala University would be exclusively reserved for graduates with a good degree in any discipline from a recognized University.
Director, Institute of Social Studies, Administration and Management (ISSAM), Turad Senesie said the law programme is a progeny of ISSAM and therefore urged his audience to embrace it. Anchored among the evening courses, the objectives of the law programme in Njala University according to Director Turad Senesie are to produce legal professionals that will demonstrate proficiency in knowledge, skills and disposition critical to the profession as established by national legal associations, produce professionals who will adhere to the principles of legal ethics, offer a curriculum that enriches the student’s broad understanding of substantive law and its applicability to the Sierra Leonean society, provide equal opportunity to Sierra Leoneans and non Sierra Leoneans with interest in the legal profession et al.
Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal, Njala University, Professor Ernest Tom Ndomahina in his keynote address expressed profound gratitude to Turad Senesie, High Court Judge Dr. Binneh Kamara, Dr. Josephus Brima and all for their inputs in developing the Law curriculum in Njala University. He said Law and Medicine have always been perceived as the exclusive reserve noting that under his tenure as Vice Chancellor and Principal and with the help
of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology and all authorities concerned, the faculty of law and medicine will be established.
He threw references to the 2005 Universities Act which advocates for introduction of new courses as long as they are in conformity with international standards.
He pledged his unflinching support towards actualizing the establishment of a law department in Njala University.