Alpha SESAY

His Excellency Mr. Alpha Sesay serves as the Deputy Minister of Justice for Sierra Leone. He holds a Master’s degree (LL.M) in International Human Rights Law from the University of Notre Dame Law School, USA, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B. Hons) from the University of Sierra Leone. He was called to the Sierra Leone Bar in 2004.

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Sesay served as the Senior Democracy, Rights, and Governance Advisor for USAID in Sierra Leone. He also held the position of Senior Advocacy Officer at the Open Society Justice Initiative, based in Washington DC (USA), where he focused on human rights litigation and advocacy before regional and international human rights mechanisms.

Mr. Sesay has extensive experience in international human rights, international criminal justice, and broader issues relating to accountability for atrocity crimes. He has worked with institutions such as the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, and regional human rights bodies including the ECOWAS Court, African Commission, and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He has engaged with international and regional bodies including the United Nations, European Union, and African Union, on various issues including human rights, governance, rule of law, and justice sector reform.

Mr. Sesay is the founding president of the Fourah Bay College Human Rights Clinic and the founding Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Court Monitoring Program. He has collaborated with the UN and various international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the International Center for Transitional Justice. He has also published, taught, delivered lectures, and spoken extensively on human rights and international justice at prestigious universities worldwide.

In 2018, Mr. Sesay was a Visiting Human Rights Fellow at Harvard Law School, conducting research and teaching on regional human rights protection and litigation, and international criminal justice. He has served as an expert commentator on human rights and international justice issues for prominent media outlets including BBC, SKY News, and Radio France International.