Justice Ebrima Jaiteh made a huge judgment on Wednesday when he convicted and sentenced former AFPRC junta topshot Yankuba Touray to death for killing Ousman Koro Ceesay. His name has since on Wednesday been on the lip of many Gambians.
The liberal and progressive-minded justice also pulled off a first by becoming the first Gambian justice to allow his court proceeding to be broadcast live. But who is Justice Jaiteh? The Fatu Network has been digging into his resume.
Justice Jaiteh attended Kuntaur Fulla Kunda primary school from 1977 to 1978. From 1978 to 1984, he studied at Brikama Primary School – and then at Gunjur secondary technical school where he spent four years from 1984. He then studied at Muslim High School from 1989 to 1991. From 1991, he was appointed as an unqualified teacher at Gunjur Secondary Technical School. He spent two years teaching in that school.
He joined the Gambia college in 1993 through to 1995 to do the higher teacher certificate course. From 1995, he taught in a number of schools among them Brikama secondary technical school, Kafuta Junior Secondary School and Albreda Junior Secondary School.
In 1995, he enrolled with St Mary’s University in Canada who were running an extension program in The Gambia and he was part of the first batch of students admitted into that university. He graduated with a double major in geography and international development studies with a minor in English Literature. He then had a short stint with the MRC as a consultant. Justice Jaiteh then returned to the classroom, teaching in Ndow’s Comprehensive Senior Secondary School and at Jamisa Junior Secondary School. Jaiteh then travelled abroad and then returned to the country to continue teaching.
In 2005, he went to the UK and enrolled at the University of Sussex to study law. He graduated with a graduate diploma in law in 2007. From 2007 to 2008, he did his Bar BPP Law School in London and graduated as a barrister at law. He came back to The Gambia in 2010 and he was called and enrolled to the Gambian Bar. Between 2010 and 2011, Justice Jaiteh worked at the Attorney General’s Chambers as a state counsel and between 2011 and 2012, he was lecturer at the Gambia Law School. He then went to Kenya where he worked with the World Bank as a consultant. He spent three years in Kenya and returned to the country at the end of 2014. Justice Jaiteh then became a magistrate in 2015. After having his own fair share of former President Jammeh’s regime, Justice Jaiteh stopped working as a magistrate to become a private legal practitioner. He was elevated to high court judge after the change of government in 2016.
