Ernest Beoku-Betts

Who was Ernest Beoku-Betts?

Sir Ernest Samuel Beoku-Betts was a prominent Sierra Leonean lawyer who was very active in civic matters. He served first as member of the Freetown City Council and subsequently as its mayor. He improved the city and reorganized the council. Other political pursuits involved a period as a member of the Legislative Council, where he worked closely with Herbert Bankole-Bright.

In 1937, Beoku-Betts left politics and became police magistrate. He assumed more senior positions during the years and was the first national to be the Vice-President of the Legislative Council.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth the year of his death. He had won recognition for the legal progress of Sierra Leone during the colonial period as well as constitutional progress toward independence.