Socio-Legal Inquiry of Intellectual Property Law and the Neocolonised Legal Profession in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Abstract

The social task facing the Freetown, Sierra Leone legal profession requires that such a professional field should be made to metamorphose and expand in line with its growing demands and expectation. This makes Intellectual Property Law an essential relation of the Neocolonised Legal Profession in Freetown, Sierra Leone. An exploration of the socio-legal approach to the relationship between intellectual property law and the Neocolonised legal professional law in Freetown is, in plain terms, highly complex. This complexity is occasioned by the very absence, very weak theoretical construct, limited attention to creativity and novelty of Intellectual Property law as a discipline and Intellectual Property Lawyers as legal practitioners. This paper is based on the main objective of examining the sociological nature of Intellectual Property Law and the operation of the Neocolonised legal profession within the framework of society. In the methodology of this paper, respondents (163) were judgementally selected, examined the socio-legal inquiry strategically on the linkage between Intellectual Property Law and the Neocolonised legal professional law and assessed its relevance and contributions to Freetown municipal income and social growth. The data analysis draws into focus the sociological inquiry on the linkage between Intellectual Property Law and the Neocolonised legal professional law in Freetown, Sierra Leone and how both of them reinforce each other in the singular sociological mission of serving society and humanity. The findings distinguish Intellectual Property Law as both a distinct and independent field of socio-legal scholarship, filling the socio-legal lacuna in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and augment national economic growth. The paper concludes that there is a very weak linkage between Intellectual Property Law and the Neocolonised legal professional law in Freetown, Sierra Leone; The lack of a deeper understanding of Intellectual Property Law and the fact that very little attention is accorded to it by the national government and other key socio-legal actors. The researcher, therefore, recommends that there is a need for an effort to employ a comprehensive conception of law that will foster a pluralistic framework; legal pluralism should incorporate all shades of law, including Intellectual Property Law.