Title page
Contents
Acknowledgements 4
Sierra Leone's 20-year journey towards a national legal aid system 7
The Legal Aid Board is now providing a scaled-up nationwide service 8
Scaled-up operations and an efficient staffing model have driven down unit costs 9
The LAB represents the most vulnerable, including through strategic litigation 11
The LAB has developed home-grown frugal innovative mechanisms to enhance its impact 11
The LAB monitors and engages with formal and informal justice systems 13
While most of its work is on cases, the LAB also undertakes outreach and legal education 13
The LAB operates as a regulator, as well as service provider 14
The government has consistently provided most of the LAB's funding 14
Sierra Leone invests heavily in its justice sector overall 15
Government support is linked to the key role of the LAB in the justice system and its contribution to achieving SDG 16 16
Prospects for increased government funding for the LAB look remote, while bilateral and multilateral donors provide minimal support 16
Research is needed on the LAB's impact 17
Lessons and conclusion 18
References 19
Figure 1. Growth in the LAB's services 2017-23 9
Figure 2. Comparison of unit costs achieved by civil society consortium (2009-13) and the LAB (2023) 11
Figure 3. Spending on justice as a percentage of government revenues compared to health and OECD countries 15