Edi Faal Faces Bar Association Pressure Over Unassigned Eligibility Case

The Gambia Bar Association says a constitutional case challenging Chief Justice Edi Faal’s qualifications and eligibility has made no meaningful progress more than three months after it was filed. In a statement, the association described itself as gravely concerned and disappointed that the matter had not been assigned to a judge or placed before a full bench. The suit was filed on 31 July 2026. The association said the case concerns the holder of the country’s highest judicial office, a position it called constitutionally significant, including because of its place in the presidential line of succession. It had expected court directions during the judicial vacation so that submissions could be prepared and the case heard promptly after the courts resumed in October. According to the GBA, its lawyers wrote to the Supreme Court registrar on 26 October requesting that the matter be assigned and advanced urgently. The registrar replied on 30 October that the file had been forwarded to the chief justice for directions, which would be communicated if received. The association called that response inadequate and disturbing, arguing that Faal has a direct personal interest in proceedings concerning the legality of his own appointment. The GBA said it raised the issue again in a letter dated 3 November but had received no reply, and the case remained unassigned. It added that the attorney general had applied for Faal to recuse himself, an application the association does not oppose, noting that both sides have taken the position that he should not sit in the matter. The association distinguished routine administration, such as receiving or forwarding a file, from exercising discretion over the case’s progress. It argued that decisions about directions and timing should not be controlled by the chief justice while his own appointment is under challenge. The statement calls for the case to move forward, but the article does not report a response from Faal or a new court date.