Hawa Sisay-Sabally

Hawa Sisay-Sabally is a Gambian lawyer who served as Attorney General from 1996–1998 and has since spoken out against corruption in The Gambia and represented opposition politicians in criminal cases regarding their participation in pro-democracy protests.

Hawa Sisay-Sabally
Attorney General
Minister of Justice
In office
April 1996 – 31 July 1998
PresidentYahya Jammeh
Preceded byFafa Edrissa M'Bai
Succeeded byFatou Bensouda
Personal details
SpouseOusman Sabally
ParentBiram Sisay

Early life and education

Sisay-Sabally's father was former Minister of Trade and Finance Sheriff Saikouba Sisay.[1]

Career

Sisay-Sabally was appointed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General under President Yahya Jammeh in April 1996. She was replaced by Fatou Bensouda on 31 July 1998.[1]

After the government approved a controversial Indemnity Act in 2001, allowing the President to shield people from prosecution, Sisay-Sabally spoke out against it as "tantamount to a coup against the 1997 constitution."[2] The Act was passed to prevent the prosecution of security personnel for their roles in the deaths of 14 students in April 2000. Sisay-Sabally represented her husband in a case that went to the Supreme Court of the Gambia, which ruled that the act had been passed and retroactively applied to prevent his case and awarded him damages.[3][4]

Sisay-Sabally is a member of the Female Lawyers Association of the Gambia, founded in 2007 to lobby for gender equality in The Gambia through legislative reform. She is also a member of Transparency International and of the Network of Lawyers for Defence of Journalists in West Africa and has spoken out against corruption in The Gambia.[5][6] She is secretary to the Board of the Arab Gambian Islamic Bank.[7]

In 2010, Sisay-Sabally represented Yussef Ezzeden, one of the accused in a treason trial involving former Chief of Defence Lang Tombong Tamba.[8][9] In 2016, she was one of the lawyers representing United Democratic Party opposition politician Ousainou Darboe and others who were jailed for staging pro-democracy protests ahead of the 2016 presidential election.[10][11][12][13]

Personal life

Sisay-Sabally is married to Ousman Sabally, a school teacher, who she represented in 2001 after he was assaulted by state security agents.[14][15]

Publications
  • Sisay Sabally, Hawa (1998). "Inheritance in the Gambia". In Akua Kuenyehia (ed.). Women and Law in West Africa: Situational Analysis of Some Key Issues Affecting Women. Legon.
  • Sisay Sabally, Hawa (2004). National Integrity Systems: Transparency International Questionnaire The Gambia 2004 (PDF) (Report). Transparency International.

References
  1. Perfect, David (2016). Historical Dictionary of The Gambia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 400. ISBN 9781442265264.
  2. "Gambia: Ex-Attorney General Reacts to Indemnity Act". The Independent (Banjul). All Africa. 27 April 2001. Archived from the original on 4 May 2001. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  3. Kwaku Akyeampong, Emmanuel; Gates, Henry Louis (2012). Dictionary of African Biography, Volume 6. Oxford University Press. p. 188. ISBN 9780195382075. Archived from the original on 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  4. Sisay Sabally, Hawa (2004). National Integrity Systems: Transparency International Questionnaire The Gambia 2004 (PDF) (Report). Transparency International. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  5. "Hawa Sisay-Sabally". International Media Lawyers. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  6. Ahmed Alota, Aloa; Ali Jawo, Demba; Hydara, Deyda (2007). A living mirror: the life of Deyda Hydara. Point Press. p. 86. ISBN 9789983992014. Archived from the original on 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  7. "Board of Directors". Arab Gambian Islamic Bank. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  8. Camara, Soury (19 April 2010). "Court should close prosecution case - Hawa Sisay Sabally". The Point. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  9. Ceesay, Fabakary B. (8 December 2010). "Gambia: Hawa Sisay Sabally Questions Dslu Daniel Kulo's Right of Audience". Foroyaa Newspaper. All Africa. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  10. "Gambia: Breaking News: Jammeh Vows To Kill The Defense Team Representing Darboe And Co!". Freedom Newspaper. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  11. Ceesay, Mafugi (20 May 2016). "Darboe and Co Trial: Defence Refer Count 5 and 6 to Supreme Court". The Voice Gambia. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  12. Ceesay, Halimatou (28 April 2016). "Darboe & Co case: State to 'add names' to the charge". The Gambia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  13. "Gambia opposition activists charged". Daily Nation. 30 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  14. Touray Head, Emil (12 June 2001). "Gambia: New Twist in Ousman Sabally Vs. State". The Daily Observer (Banjul). All Africa. Archived from the original on 2 July 2001. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  15. Bah, Omar (11 June 2001). "Gambia: In Ousman Sabally Versus the State: High Court Rules Against Reference to Indemnity Amendment Act". The Independent (Banjul). All Africa. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
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