Kenyan Supreme Court Judge Isaac Lenaola has been elected President of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone following a two-day plenary session held in The Hague, Netherlands.
In a statement released on February 27, 2026, the court announced that its judges had chosen new leaders to head the institution. Justice Lenaola, who previously served as Vice President of the court, now takes over as President. He will serve a renewable two-year term.
Justice Andrew Hatton was elected Vice President, while Justice Tonia Barnett was appointed Staff Appeals Judge.
During the plenary session, judges received briefings from the Registrar, Prosecutor, and Principal Defender. They discussed proposed changes to court rules, reviewed the draft stocktaking report, examined funding matters, and approved the court’s 12th Annual Report covering activities in 2025.
The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone is responsible for completing the remaining duties of the original Special Court. These include supervising sentences, protecting witnesses, preserving court archives, and supporting national prosecution authorities.
Justice Lenaola has served at the court since 2013. In Kenya, he joined the judiciary in 2003 and rose to the Supreme Court. He previously headed the Constitutional and Human Rights Division at the High Court in Milimani, Nairobi. He also served as a judge and Deputy Principal Judge at the East African Court of Justice between 2011 and 2018.
Justice Hatton has also been part of the court since 2013. Before joining, he practiced law in the United Kingdom and held part-time judicial roles. He served as an international criminal judge in the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo before becoming a Circuit Judge in the UK.
Justice Barnett joined the court in 2021. She has served in Sierra Leone’s judiciary since 2017, including more than a decade as a magistrate and six years as a Senior Magistrate. She has also been a judge of the Court of Appeal since 2020.
Justice Lenaola’s election marks another milestone in his long judicial career and strengthens Kenya’s presence in international justice leadership.
