Justice Josepha Wowo of the high court in Banjul has expressed concern over the non-availability of records of proceedings from the lower courts in the criminal appeal cases involving convicts before his court.

Several criminal appeal faces were mentioned before the court last Tuesday but none proceeded as a result of the non-availability of the record of proceedings from the lower courts.

Some of the cases mentioned, included one Adama Sarr versus the state, the convict was convicted and sentenced by magistrate John Njie of the Brikama magistrate court on 3rd September 2008.  To a mandatory five year jail term for an offence of assault causing actual bodily harm. Another, Abdoulie Gaye versus the state convicted and sentenced by the Brikama magistrate court on drug trafficking offence.

Dodou Danso versus the state, Famara Ndure versus the stat. Justice Wowo however informed the appellants that the hearing into their appeal case couldn't proceed without the availability of the record of proceedings from the lower court. "We cannot do anything without the record of proceedings from the lowered court so as we can know what happened at the court" justice said. "This people are prisoners and they need to know their fate, but without records proceedings the case cannot go on" he said principal state counsel, Merley wood however crave the court indulgence to grant her a short adjournment to enable her get the records of proceedings for the appellants from the lower court. The court subsequently adjourned all the aforementioned cases to July 31, 2009.