Freetown, 3rd September 2026 — Two members of the Lawyers’ Society of Sierra Leone have filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking judicial interpretation of the procedures used in the purported passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill of 2025.
Thomas Moore Conteh, Esq. and Tamba Kellie, Esq., acting in their individual capacities, lodged the action after the Government of Sierra Leone declined to grant corporate registration to the Society.
The application, brought under Sections 124 and 127 of the 1991 Constitution, asks the Court to clarify two critical issues:
- Voting threshold required for a valid constitutional amendment.
- Voting method or procedure that Parliament must follow.
The lawyers emphasised that their action does not challenge Parliament’s legislative authority or supremacy. Instead, it seeks to safeguard the integrity of the constitutional amendment process by ensuring that any alteration to the supreme law meets the requirements set out in the Constitution.
“The protection of the rule of law and the promotion of good governance are central to our mandate,” the Society noted, stressing that the case is intended to uphold constitutional safeguards rather than undermine parliamentary powers.
If the Court finds that Parliament failed to adhere to the prescribed procedures, the applicants are asking for a declaration that the purported passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill of 2025 is null and void.
The outgoing statement confirmed that the Society will keep its members and the public informed of developments as the matter proceeds before the Supreme Court.
