Gambia magistrate presides despite visual impairment

Magistrate Muhammed Krubally began his shift at the Banjul Magistrates' Court before the public arrived. His clerk walked him through the day's files, and Krubally listened, asked questions, and then entered the courtroom. He cannot see the lawyers, witnesses, or relatives gathered before him, but he presides over criminal matters using his hearing and memory.

Krubally relies on a screen reader called JAWS to process documents and judgments. He also uses AI-enabled smart glasses to complete tasks independently. He told Al Jazeera that this technology makes his job very easy. However, he notes that he also follows voices and tracks the rhythm of proceedings. He turns to his clerk for assistance when necessary.

The 41-year-old magistrate has handled more than 1,000 civil and criminal cases since joining the bench. In 2016, he became the Gambia's first visually impaired magistrate, a status confirmed by the Gambia Organisation of the Visually Impaired. He views the role as a standard profession rather than an experiment. His goal was to change the system and make it inclusive.

Krubally grew up in the Central River Region as the second of nine children. He wanted to be a lawyer to defend his own rights and act as a voice for people with disabilities. He faced limited resources and discouragement from classmates and teachers during his education. He stated that their discouragement kept him going.

The Gambia passed the Persons with Disabilities Act in 2021. The law sets out principles of non-discrimination, equality of opportunity, and accessibility. It includes provisions on employment, public buildings, and access to justice. The National Human Rights Commission has identified continuing barriers, including discrimination and difficulty reaching services.

Barriers often begin in schools. Lamin Colley, head of the GOVI Resource Centre for the Blind, said the center teaches 49 pupils aged four to 14. These students then move into mainstream schools where special-needs teachers are assigned to clusters. Colley said limited learning materials and large cluster sizes stretch support thin. He noted that not much has changed after the disability act was passed, citing insufficient government funding.

Ndey Yassin Secka-Sallah, the country's only visually impaired parliamentarian, described a similar gap. She said she had to rely on colleagues to know what was being discussed in the National Assembly. She said she would have loved to be independent. Musa Barrow, a media law lecturer, uses digital tools for his work. He said he can do more than what sighted people can do, answering student questions about his standards.

The scale of disability in the Gambia is difficult to measure. The 2013 census recorded a prevalence of 1.2 percent, or 21,873 people. This figure may understate reality because it used narrower questions than the Washington Group standard. Preliminary results from a newer census released in September 2024 did not include detailed national disability data.

Krubally mentors young people, including Modou Lamin Dampha, who says the magistrate encourages him. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare did not respond to questions about implementation. The judiciary did not respond to questions about accommodations for Krubally or changes since the 2021 law. Whether the institution has adapted alongside him remains open.

Krubally continues to preside over cases in Banjul. He says he sees only possibility.