Freetown, 11th August, 2026– The Lawyers’ Society has raised alarm over Parliament’s reported passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 without securing the constitutionally required two‑thirds majority vote.
In a statement, the Society cited Section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution, which mandates that amendments to the supreme law must be approved by at least two‑thirds of the total membership of Parliament. According to the group, the threshold was not met, yet the Bill was declared passed.
“The Constitution sets out the procedure for its own amendment. Parliament, including the Speaker, is therefore bound to comply strictly with the requirements and procedures established by the Constitution,” the statement read.
The Lawyers’ Society expressed particular concern over what it described as an inconsistency in the Speaker’s interpretation of constitutional thresholds. During proceedings on the removal of Auditor‑General Lara Taylor‑Pearce, the Speaker had distinguished between “two‑thirds of Parliament” meaning the total membership and “two‑thirds in Parliament,” referring to members present and voting.
The Society noted that the Speaker’s earlier ruling upheld the stricter constitutional requirement, yet in the case of the amendment bill, he appeared to depart from that position.
“If the Constitution is openly disregarded in the process of amending it, the legitimacy of the amendment itself is called into question,” the Lawyers’ Society cautioned.
The group stressed that such a precedent would enable Parliament to alter the Constitution through procedures the document itself does not permit a move it described as incompatible with constitutional democracy.
The Lawyers’ Society urged the President, the Speaker, Members of Parliament, the legal profession, civil society, and citizens to ensure that constitutional change is pursued only through constitutional means.
“The supremacy of the Constitution must be respected in both words and deeds,” the statement concluded.
