Basiru Mahoney Explained

Basiru V P Mahoney
Predecessor2:Pa Harry Jammeh
Succeeded2:Cherno Marenah
Termend2:27 August 2014
Termstart2:24 May 2013
Office2:Solicitor General & Legal Secretary
President1:Yahya Jammeh
Appointer:Adama Barrow
Office:Judge of the Court of Appeal of The Gambia
Termend1:9 January 2015
Termstart1:27 August 2014
Succeeded1:Mama Fatima Singhateh
Predecessor1:Mama Fatima Singhateh
Office1:Minister of Justice
Attorney General
Termstart:6 November 2020
Termend:Present
Country:The Gambia
President2:Yahya Jammeh

Basiru V.P. Mahoney is a Gambian lawyer, politician and judge who served as Attorney General of The Gambia from 27 August 2014 to 9 January 2015.[1] [2] He previously served as the Solicitor General and Legal Secretary between May 2013 and August 2014[3] and as a Judge of the High Court between 2009 and 2013.[4] Basiru Mahoney currently serves as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of The Gambia.

Early life and education

Basiru Mahoney was born in Cape Point, The Gambia and did his primary and secondary education in Marina School Banjul and Gambia High School. Upon completing his O' levels he proceeded to the United Kingdom where he did the Bar vocational course and qualified to practice as a Barrister in England and Wales and subsequently in The Gambia in 2002.

Professional career

Basiru Mahoney engaged in private practice in The Gambia before his appointment to the bench as a Magistrate. He would later be promoted to the High Court in 2009 and served there until his appointment as Solicitor General in May 2013. In an August 2014 cabinet reshuffle he was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice, a position he held until January 2015. Basiru Mahoney is currently a Judge of the Court of Appeal of The Gambia.

The Mahoney Commission

In 2010 following complaints of corruption and a lack of transparency in the allocation of land in the country, President Yahya Jammeh appointed Basiru Mahoney to chair a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into land allocation in The Gambia.[5] The Commission heard public testimony for 7 months and presented its report to the President on 23 June 2011.[6] The inquiry uncovered illegal sales and allocations of land and led to major reforms in the Land allocation system in The Gambia.[7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: President Jammeh Reshuffles Cabinet. 2014-08-27. Foroyaa Newspaper. en-US. 2020-05-06.
  2. Web site: 3 Ministers Sworn In. The Standard Newspaper. 7 January 2015. en-US. 2020-05-06.
  3. Web site: Solicitor General Responds To Former GPTC Staff file. 2014-06-18. Foroyaa Newspaper. en-US. 2020-05-06.
  4. Web site: http://archive.thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/five-gambian-judges-appointed. archive.thepoint.gm. 2020-05-06.
  5. Web site: http://archive.thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/lands-commission-begins-sitting-today. archive.thepoint.gm. 2020-05-06.
  6. Web site: http://archive.thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/lands-commission-presents-report-to-jammeh. archive.thepoint.gm. 2020-05-06.
  7. News: All Africa News. 2 December 2010. Gambia: Justice Mahoney Summons Director of Lands and Survey. All Africa News. 6 May 2020.
  8. News: All Africa. 14 January 2011. Gambia: Lands Commission Questions Sony Enterprise Boss. All Africa News. 6 May 2020.