A/HRC/32/16 • Establishment of the Legal Aid Board, which, within six months of coming into operation, had delivered legal aid services to over 500 citizens, with over 100 persons discharged from remand • Establishment of the Independent Police Complaints Board to improve accountability and civilian oversight and augment the Complaints Discipline and Internal Investigations Department, which, since its inception, had investigated over 2,000 cases resulting in suspensions, dismissals, warnings, corrective training and rank reduction • Establishment of family support units in all police stations to improve the capacity of the police to handle domestic and sexual and gender-based violence • Establishment of a children’s commission to enhance the implementation of the Child Rights Act 2007, which further incorporates into domestic legislation the Convention on the Rights of the Child • Improvement of detention facilities through the Correctional Services Act, 2013, aimed at transforming the prison system from punitive to rehabilitative, including the successful separation of male and female prison populations and relocation of the juvenile prison population • Implementation of the Local Courts Act, 2011, to meet local justice needs for the wider population, including the recording and monitoring of all court proceedings by the Chief Justice and legal representation • Improvement of judicial independence through the approval of an new salary scheme to enhance the service conditions of judicial and law officers, with the aim of improving responsiveness, accountability and transparency and, most importantly, dealing with the perennial problems of backlog • Review of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1965, to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability in the criminal justice system, by introducing alternative forms of sentencing to decongest detention facilities; the Bill was submitted to Parliament late in 2015 for consideration in the current legislative calendar of Parliament, and its enactment is a priority of the Government 14. Furthermore, Sierra Leone introduced the Right to Access Information Act, 2013, and subsequently established the Commission on the Right to Access Information. This is consistent with the commitment of Sierra Leone to uphold freedom of expression by allowing increasing the autonomy of the Independent Media Commission and creating an enabling environment for the growth of the media. At present, there are over 40 newspapers in the country and at least one radio station in every district. 15. Sierra Leone continued to work hard to improve the status and rights of women and children in society. In that regard, Sierra Leone enacted the Sexual Violence Act, 2012, which, together with the promulgation and implementation of the Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act, the Devolution of Estates Act and the Domestic Violence Act, has significantly helped to protect women’s rights. 16. The Ministry of Justice had recorded more than 350 cases that had been referred to the courts and family support units in the last quarter of 2011. The Government was aware, in particular, of the challenges in the area of witness and evidence management and cultural impediments, and would continue to work with key development partners to improve the quality of investigations and prosecutions. Furthermore, the Government was poised to increase the number of magistrates and judges. Two female judges had been recently appointed to the Supreme Court, which now comprised 45 per cent women. 5