Is there a right to write (checks)?

Interesting issues keep coming up in the current Sierra Leone mutiny court-martial, including whether military accuseds have a right to legal aid and whether, while in pretrial confinement, they can be denied access to their personal checkbooks in order to take care of their families. Counsel for 13 of the 14 accuseds have now missed two sessions of the proceedings. Counsel for the sole represented accused seems to be speaking for the others. This Awoko report gives some of the courtroom flavor:

In his ruling the Judge Advocate Otto O. During said though he may agree with Counsel that it is not mandatory for the State to provide legal aid for the accused, it has been the practice all over the years for offences like murder and mutiny that the State should provide legal aid for the accused and the military personnel are no exception.

Judge Advocate Otto During

He said the accused have legal aid but it is due to some issues that need to be settled then the team will return. On the issues of access to their salaries, he ruled against it saying he cannot allow them to access their salaries since the trial has not commence[d] in earnest and for equity and fairness he will consider that but not now.