By Emmanuella Metzger
FREETOWN — After more than a decade living and working abroad, Dr Emmanuel Allicious Macpherson Sam has returned to Sierra Leone. Now based in Freetown, he is combining legal practice, teaching, and advocacy work focused on civil liberties and environmental accountability.
Speaking during an interview at his office, Dr Macpherson reflected on his return and the direction of his work. “I never left my country in spirit,” he said. “Returning now simply formalises a commitment I have always felt — to serve Sierra Leone directly.”
Dr Macpherson spent approximately 12 years overseas, where he worked and taught within different legal systems. He said the decision to return was driven by a desire to apply that experience locally. “Sierra Leone is where I want to apply what I’ve learned — practically and ethically,” he explained.
His academic training spans law and behavioural sciences, an approach he says helps examine how legal rules operate within social and institutional settings. He holds a PhD in Corporate and Compliance Law and received legal training at Northeastern University School of Law, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lund University, Suffolk Law School, and Simmons University.
Over the years, his advocacy work has been recognised in several countries. He received an award in Canada in 2018 for disability-rights advocacy, the African Peace Award in Nigeria, and was named among Sierra Leone’s 50 Most Influential Youth in 2019. He has also participated in leadership programmes, including the Tutu Fellowship, which involved training in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
In Sierra Leone, Dr Macpherson currently lectures at Fourah Bay College and the Sierra Leone Law School. He described teaching as a key part of long-term social change, particularly through mentoring law students.
He is also a founding member of the Centre for Civil Liberty, an organisation that provides free legal representation and works to protect economic, social, and political rights. According to Dr Macpherson, the Centre applies international standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to address environmental and public-health harms linked to corporate activities.
“We translate international norms into litigation, policy advocacy, and public education,” he said. “This includes supporting affected communities and engaging regulators and civil society to address pollution and related health impacts.”
Alongside public-interest work, Dr Macpherson runs a legal consultancy that advises individuals and institutions. He noted that the consultancy supports and complements the Centre’s advocacy and litigation efforts.
Asked about future political ambitions, he declined to give a direct answer, saying only, “Time will tell.”
Looking ahead, Dr Macpherson said his immediate priorities include expanding pro bono legal services, pursuing environmental accountability cases, contributing to constitutional review discussions in Parliament, and training young lawyers with practical, rights-focused skills.
