Judge Isaac Lenaola elected president of Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone

Supreme Court Judge Isaac Lenaola/FILE

The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone (RSCSL) has elected Kenya’s Supreme Court Judge Isaac Lenaola as its new President.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Court’s two-day plenary session held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Friday, February 27, 2026.

Justice Lenaola, who previously served as Vice President of the RSCSL, will serve a two-year renewable term. He succeeds the outgoing leadership team following elections that also saw Justice Andrew Hatton chosen as Vice President and Justice Tonia Barnett appointed Staff Appeals Judge.

Justice Lenaola has been a Judge of the RSCSL since 2013. His legal career spans over two decades, beginning with his appointment to Kenya’s Judicial Service in 2003.

Since 2016, he has served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya. Prior to that, he was the Presiding Judge of the Constitutional and Human Rights Division at the High Court in Milimani, Nairobi.

In addition, he served from 2011 to 2018 as Judge and Deputy Principal Judge of the East African Court of Justice.

Justice Hatton brings extensive international experience to his new role. Appointed a Judge of the RSCSL in 2013, he practised law in the United Kingdom from 1987 to 2012, including part-time judicial roles from 2004.

Between 2011 and 2012, he served as an International Criminal Judge in the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), and in 2012 he was appointed Circuit Judge in the UK.

Justice Barnett, elected as Staff Appeals Judge, has been with the RSCSL since 2021.

Her judicial career in Sierra Leone began in 2005 when she served as a Magistrate, and she was Senior Magistrate from 2011 to 2017.

Since 2020, she has been a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and she joined the RSCSL following extensive national judicial experience.

During the plenary, Judges were briefed by the RSCSL Registrar, the Prosecutor, and the Principal Defender. They deliberated on key matters, including proposed rule amendments, the draft Stocktaking Report, and Court funding. The session also reviewed the RSCSL’s 12th Annual Report covering the year 2025.

The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone continues to oversee the legal obligations of the original Special Court, which concluded its mandate in December 2013.

Its responsibilities include supervision of prison sentences, witness protection and support, maintenance and preservation of archives, and assistance to national prosecution authorities.

Justice Lenaola’s election marks a significant milestone for Kenya’s judiciary on the international stage. His leadership is expected to strengthen the RSCSL’s ongoing work in upholding justice and managing the Court’s remaining duties.

“The Court remains committed to fulfilling its mandate responsibly and efficiently,” RSCSL officials said in a statement following the plenary. The Court encourages media inquiries through its official channels, emphasising that the information is for public reporting and not for advertising purposes.