Justice Mark Ngegba, on Thursday 18th June 2026, ruled that Zainab Sheriff’s appeal against her 4-year jail sentence would proceed. The High Court dismissed the government’s request to strike out the entire appeal on technicality. While the judge said the Notice of Appeal did not fully meet the 1969 Court Rules, he ruled the error was not serious enough to end the case.
Justice Ngegba ordered Zainab Sheriff’s lawyers to re-file the papers correctly. The appeal will be decided based on written records from the original magistrate’s trial, no new witnesses. The full hearing is now set for Thursday, 2nd July 2026.
Zainab Sheriff will not appear in court in person. She remains in custody at the Sierra Leone Female Correctional Centre, New England.
In his ruling, the judge stressed that courts exist to deliver justice, and citizens must be able to challenge rulings they believe are wrong.
Sheriff’s 19 grounds of appeal will now be heard on their merits, including whether the incitement conviction and 4-year sentence were fair.
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