A/HRC/4/96 page 13 1. Courts 35. At the end of 2006, courts were functioning in all 12 districts, albeit with significant difficulties. Each district, except Pujehun, had a resident magistrate. However, no significant impact was noted on the backlog of cases, even after the deployment of resident magistrates, due to a number of factors including: (a) delays in processing cases by the administrative staff of the courts; (b) inadequate prosecutorial capacity; (c) lack of a public defender system and legal aid services. Low salaries and poor working conditions resulting in low morale also obstructed the speedy delivery of services. These problems were more pronounced in the provinces than in the capital city of Freetown. 36. Despite the aforesaid, the courts heard a number of high profile cases in 2006 related to war crimes. After nearly six years on the docket, the case of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and Westside Boys were finally adjudicated, thus bringing domestic trials of cases arising out of the civil conflict to an end. Of the 57 RUF boys indicted, 47 were acquitted and 10 were convicted on 15 counts of conspiracy murder and were given a jail term of 10 years on each count to be served concurrently. Of the 32 Westside Boys indicted, 25 were acquitted and 7 were convicted on 6 counts of conspiracy and sentenced to prison terms of 10 years on each count, with the sentences to be served concurrently. 2. Police 37. Training in human rights in administration of justice provided to the Sierra Leone Police over the years continue to yield dividends. An increasing respect for human rights was noted in the operations of the police. However, a number of disturbing incidents involving police officers were noted during the year, all of which are still pending in court undetermined. 3. Prisons 38. UNIOSIL concluded a national assessment of prisons in the country, which involved visits to all the detention facilities. Conducted in close collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other stakeholders, this exercise was specifically aimed at assessing the living conditions in the facilities and the level of compliance with international standards in relation to the treatment of persons in detention. The exercise revealed that while there have been efforts towards adherence to international standards, prison conditions are generally poor, requiring a reform of the system. A final report which will soon be released by UNIOSIL, will be recommending a number of reforms, the management of prisons, and the general conditions of detention. C. Training and capacity-building 39. At the core of UNIOSIL’s mandate, is the task of building national capacity for the promotion and protection of human rights. With the assistance of OHCHR, UNIOSIL Human Rights and Rule of Law Section conducted a number of training programmes targeting specific segments of the Government and the population. For the mainstreaming of human rights in local governance, nine training workshops benefiting over 300 members of district and Town Councils were conducted in the area of human rights, democracy and the rule of law to empower civil