Journalist Thomas Dixon has suggested that Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara (JFK) may have treated Chief Justice Komba Kamanda as a junior colleague at the Bar, while calling for mercy following Kamara’s imprisonment for contempt of court.
Speaking during a live television discussion, Dixon said he believed Kamara’s perception of the Chief Justice’s seniority in the legal profession may have contributed to the confrontation.
“I think what he misses in this whole thing, JFK looks at the CJ as a junior,” Dixon said.
He, however, stressed that regardless of their respective standing at the Bar, Kamanda is the head of the judiciary and deserves respect for the office he occupies.
“Even if you don’t want to respect the individual, respect the office of the Chief Justice,” Dixon said.
The journalist acknowledged that Kamara, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, is an experienced lawyer who understands the law and the court’s powers to punish contempt.
Dixon described Kamara as a brilliant lawyer with strong advocacy skills but argued that respect for judicial authority must remain paramount.
He also appealed for leniency, saying Kamara was not a bad person and urging the authorities to temper justice with mercy.
“To err is human, to forgive is divine. And in law, they say temper justice with mercy,” he said.
Dixon further expressed concern that the dispute could have deprived Sierra Leone of an opportunity to develop its constitutional jurisprudence through the Supreme Court proceedings.
Kamara was detained on October 8, 2026, after the Supreme Court found his response to a demand for an apology over his conduct during proceedings on the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Act, 2025, inadequate.
The General Legal Council subsequently condemned his conduct but appealed to the Supreme Court to reconsider the custodial punishment, citing the importance of maintaining a good working relationship between the Bar and the Bench.