FREETOWN, Thursday 8th October 2026 – The Judiciary of Sierra Leone has suspended all High Court sittings scheduled for today, Thursday 8th October 2026, to facilitate the ongoing proceedings before the Supreme Court on the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025.
In a notice issued this morning, the Judiciary said all High Court proceedings nationwide stand suspended for the day due to the continuation of the Supreme Court hearing into the constitutional amendment and related constitutional cases
The Supreme Court, presided over by Chief Justice Komba Kamanda, is today continuing its hearing into the consolidated matters concerning the procedure for amending non-entrenched provisions of the 1991 Constitution, a case that has generated huge public interest.
The Court yesterday delivered key rulings allowing the Attorney-General to be heard despite not filing formal papers and joining the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (IRLAJ) as a party to the case. Proceedings were adjourned to 10:00 a.m. today.
The Judiciary said the suspension of High Court sittings is to allow High Court Judges, lawyers and court staff to follow the landmark proceedings, and to free up court infrastructure as the historic hearing is being broadcast live on radio and TV for the first time in the country’s history.
The case centres on whether Parliament met the two-thirds requirement of 100 of 149 MPs under Section 108(2)(b) to pass the Bill that seeks to reduce the presidential threshold from 55% to 50% plus one, revert to Proportional Representation, and mandate a 30% women’s quota in party leadership.
High Court sittings are expected to continue tomorrow, Friday 9th October, depending on progress at the Supreme Court.
