UNDP Sierra Leone has made significant strides in improving access to justice and promoting human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups. This progress has been made possible through key partnerships with the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, the Legal Aid Board, the Ministry of Justice, and the Sierra Leone Correctional Services.

As part of its efforts to strengthen the justice system and support the fight against violence toward women and girls, UNDP partnered with the Judiciary to modernize the Sexual Offences Model Court in Kailahun District. The court is now equipped with solar-powered electricity, ICT assets, and new furniture. In 2024, UNDP’s support to three civil society organisations (CSO), UNDP enabled 139 survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) accessed legal services, psychosocial support, medicals, and transport facilitation to access the justice services. 

This initiative is part of UNDP's broader efforts to help the Government of Sierra Leone address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and promote justice for all citizens.

UNDP has also supported the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, the Legal Aid Board, and Sierra Leone Correctional Services through initiatives like Judicial Week and Prison-Court Sessions. These programmes aim to tackle case backlogs, unlawful detention, and overcrowding in correctional facilities. 

The Judicial Week helps clear backlogs at the High Court, while the Prison-Court initiative sends senior judges to Correctional Centers to expedite trials and review potentially unlawful decisions. As a result, 802 backlogged cases (77% of the total) were cleared, and over 600 cases with wrongful verdicts were reviewed in 2023. Nearly 3,000 people, including 1,000 women, received justice as a result of these initiatives. Additionally, 142 convictions were secured for sexual offences. In 2024, UNDP’s support to the Judiciary and Legal Aid Board facilitated the Prison Court sittings nationwide and enabled the reviewed of cases of 1,538 inmates (M;1,508, F:30) cases in an effort to decongest the correctional centres across the country and enhance access to justice for inmates most of whom were in detention due to wrongful decisions, ‘kush’ drug related and minor offences. 

In partnership with the Legal Aid Board, UNDP has expanded access to legal services for women and girls, providing paralegal support, legal education, and mediation. In 2023, this initiative successfully mediated 1,178 disputes, benefiting 948 women, and advancing their legal empowerment and in 2024, legal aid services benefitted 112 (98 Women and 14 girls) females.

UNDP has also strengthened the capacity of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) to address human rights violations. By improving complaint-handling procedures, HRCSL has processed 196 complaints, resolving 129 related to elections. HRCSL's mobile teams have also collected complaints from nearly 300 people, including 128 women, in remote areas, improving access to justice for vulnerable populations. Through the complaint handing procedure of the Human Rights Commission, 112 complaints were received, out of which 91% (94 cases), were processed successfully, thereby provided remedies for complainants. 

UNDP Sierra Leone’s contributions align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16, which focuses on promoting peaceful, inclusive societies, access to justice, and accountable institutions.