The Hague, Netherlands – Kenyan jurist Justice Isaac Lenaola has been elected President of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, the court has announced.
In a statement issued on February 27, 2026, the court said its judges, meeting in plenary session in The Hague, elected new office bearers to lead the institution, with Justice Lenaola – the court’s immediate former Vice President – taking over the presidency.
At the same sitting, Andrew Hatton was elected Vice President, while Tonia Barnett was elected Staff Appeals Judge. All the newly elected officials will serve renewable two-year terms.
The elections took place during a plenary meeting of judges held at the court’s seat in The Hague, a global hub for international justice institutions.
Judges review court operations and future plans
During the plenary session, judges were briefed by the court’s Registrar, Prosecutor and Principal Defender on the state of operations at the institution. They also deliberated on a number of key administrative and judicial matters, including proposed amendments to the court’s rules, a draft stocktaking report, and the court’s funding situation.
The judges further reviewed the institution’s 12th Annual Report, which covers the court’s activities for the year 2025.
According to the court, the discussions were aimed at strengthening the effectiveness and sustainability of the institution as it continues to discharge its post-trial and residual responsibilities.
Mandate of the court
The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone was established to continue the unfinished legal and administrative work of the now-closed Special Court for Sierra Leone.
Its mandate includes the supervision of sentences imposed by the former court, the protection of witnesses, the preservation and management of archives, and the provision of legal and technical support to national prosecution authorities handling related cases.
The institution therefore plays a critical role in ensuring that the legacy of accountability for crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s civil conflict is preserved and enforced.
Justice Lenaola’s judicial career
Justice Lenaola has served as a judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone since 2013.
Before joining the international court, he built a long career in Kenya’s judiciary, having joined the bench in 2003 and later rising to serve at the Supreme Court of Kenya.
He previously served as the Presiding Judge of the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court at Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, where he handled some of Kenya’s most high-profile constitutional and human rights cases.
In addition to his domestic judicial work, Justice Lenaola also served as a judge and Deputy Principal Judge of the East African Court of Justice between 2011 and 2018, gaining extensive experience in regional and international jurisprudence.
His election to lead the Sierra Leone court marks another major milestone for Kenyan representation within international justice institutions.
Newly elected Vice President
Justice Andrew Hatton has also served as a judge of the court since 2013. Prior to his appointment, he practised law in the United Kingdom and held a number of part-time judicial roles.
Between 2011 and 2012, he served as an international criminal judge under the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, before being appointed a Circuit Judge in the United Kingdom in 2012.
Staff Appeals Judge
Justice Tonia Barnett joined the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2021 and has served in Sierra Leone’s national judiciary since 2017.
Before her elevation to the higher courts, she worked as a magistrate for more than a decade, including six years as a Senior Magistrate. She has also served as a judge of Sierra Leone’s Court of Appeal since 2020.
Leadership at a critical phase
The newly elected leadership assumes office at a time when the court continues to wind down long-term residual functions, particularly in witness protection, sentence enforcement and archival preservation.
With Justice Lenaola at the helm, the court is expected to maintain continuity in its operations while steering key reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, institutional efficiency and long-term sustainability.
