FREETOWN, 7th October 2026 – The Supreme Court has adjourned proceedings in the high-profile Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025 matter to 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, following a series of decisive rulings by Chief Justice Komba Kamanda.
The adjournment came after a tense day which saw arguments over filings, conflicting accounts about the whereabouts of Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas, and interventions about the Court’s integrity.
In today’s sitting, Chief Justice Kamanda delivered two key rulings that will shape the rest of the hearing.
First, he ruled that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice should be heard in the case despite not having filed a Statement of Case. The ruling came after Counsel for the APC, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara (JFK), had accused the AG’s Office of being unprepared. The Chief Justice’s decision means the State will be allowed to participate fully and make arguments on issues arising in the matter.
In a second ruling, the Court granted an application by the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (IRLAJ) to be joined as a party to the case. IRLAJ, a public interest legal think tank, will now formally participate in the constitutional reference.
The rulings clear the way for full argument tomorrow morning, with both the Attorney-General and IRLAJ now officially involved.
Background to the Case
The Supreme Court is hearing the consolidated cases relating to the Bill that Parliament claimed to have passed on 10th August 2026 after APC MPs walked out. Speaker Thomas ruled it passed with a majority of members present, but plaintiffs including the APC, Hon. Osman Timbo, and the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), argue Section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution requires 100 of the 149 MPs.
President Julius Maada Bio did not assent to the Bill but referred it to the Supreme Court under Section 122(1) following IGR’s petition.
The Bill proposes far-reaching reforms – cutting the threshold to win the presidency from 55% to 50% plus one, returning to a Proportional Representation system, and reserving 30% of political party leadership positions for women.
Today’s proceedings marked the first ever live broadcast of a constitutional case in Sierra Leone, with IRN relaying proceedings to over 40 radio stations nationwide after SLAJ’s request was approved by the Chief Justice on 6th October.
Hearing resumes tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
