On 11 June 2016, the Chief Justice of Somaliland issued a decree annulling the previous ministerial decision that revoked Guleid Ahmed Jama’s license to practice law. The ruling of the Chief Justice stated that the minister had no power to terminate the license. He also ruled that being a member of a human rights organization is not incompatible with legal practice. Guleid Ahmed Jama thanked Lawyers for Lawyers for our support.
On 16 May 2016, Guleid Ahmed Jama received notification of the Minister of Justice and Judicial Affairs that his license to practice law had been terminated. Lawyers for Lawyers called on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally reinstate Mr. Guleid Ahmed Jama’s license to practice law.
Guleid Ahmed Jama is a lawyer and and founder of the Human Rights Center (HRC), a human rights watchdog organisation in Somaliland. In May 2016, Guleid Ahmed Jama became aware of a letter signed by the Minister of Justice requesting that the Chief Justice of Somaliland revoke the license of Mr. Guleid Ahmed Jama. In this letter the Minister of Justice accused Mr. Guleid Ahmed Jama of committing a violation by being both a lawyer and the chairperson of a human rights organization, Human Rights Center. As we understand it, according to Somaliland statutory law (Law No. 30 of 2004), the Minister of Justice does not have the power to revoke a lawyer’s license, as seems to have happened in this case.
It is not the first time that Guleid Ahmed Jama was subjected to harassment. According to our information, he was arrested in April 2015 and accused of, amonsgt other things, ‘subversive or anti-national propaganda’ and ‘publication or circulation of false, exaggerated and tendentious news capable of disturbing public order’. His arrest came after he provided an interview during which he commented on the judicial system in Somaliland to the BBC Somali on 17 April 2015. In August 2015, the Hargeisa Regional Court issued a ruling closing the criminal case against him. This was reported by Frontline Defenders on their website.
Lawyers for Lawyers will continue to closely monitor the case of Guleid Ahmed Jama.
