Blind Magistrate Leads Banjul Court

In Banjul, a blind magistrate presides over criminal trials every working day. Muhammed Krubally, 41, relies on a screen reader and smart glasses to hear lawyers and witnesses in the Magistrates' Court. He has handled more than 1,000 civil and criminal cases since joining the bench in 2016. The Gambia Organisation of the Visually Impaired confirms he is the country's first visually impaired magistrate.

Krubally uses software called Job Access With Speech to read documents aloud. He also uses AI-enabled glasses for independent tasks. "This makes my job very easy," he said. He tracks the rhythm of proceedings by listening to voices and consulting his clerk. He views this work as his profession rather than an experiment.

Born in the Central River Region as the second of nine children, Krubally wanted to be a lawyer to defend his own rights. He also sought to be a voice for people with disabilities. He faced limited resources and discouragement from teachers and classmates during his education. "Their discouragement kept me going," Krubally said. He became a magistrate to make the system inclusive.

The Gambia passed a Persons with Disabilities Act in 2021. The law sets principles for non-discrimination, equality of opportunity, and accessibility. It covers employment, public buildings, and access to justice. The National Human Rights Commission reports that barriers persist, including discrimination and difficulty reaching services. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare did not respond to questions about implementation.

Schools face resource gaps. Lamin Colley, head of GOVI's Resource Centre for the Blind, said the school teaches 49 pupils aged four to 14. These students later move into mainstream schools where special-needs teachers are assigned to clusters. Colley said limited materials and large clusters stretch teacher support thin. "Not much has changed after the disability act has been passed," he said. He blamed insufficient government funding.

Ndey Yassin Secka-Sallah, the country's only visually impaired parliamentarian, said she had to rely on colleagues to understand debates. "I would have loved to be independent," she said. Musa Barrow, a media law professor, uses digital tools to prepare lectures. Some students questioned his standards, but he said he can do more than sighted people can do.

The 2013 census recorded 21,873 people with disabilities, a prevalence of 1.2 percent. That survey used narrower questions than current standards, so the figure may understate the total. Preliminary results from a newer census released in September 2024 did not include detailed national disability data.

Krubally now mentors young people, including Modou Lamin Dampha. The judiciary did not respond to questions about accommodations or changes since the 2021 law. Krubally says simply: "All I see is possibility."