FREETOWN, 7th October 2026 – The Supreme Court of Sierra Leone will today, Tuesday 7th October 2026, commence hearing into a major constitutional challenge to the purported passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The case, S.C. No. 11/2026, was filed by two members of The Lawyers’ Society, Thomas Moore Conteh, Esq. and Hon. Tamba Kellie, Esq., against the Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.
Today’s hearing, scheduled for 10:00am, is expected to be procedural. According to judicial sources, the Court is most likely to hear an application by the Attorney-General seeking to consolidate other related matters challenging the same Amendment Bill to be heard as one.
The Court may also hear an application by the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ) to be joined as a party in the matter.
What the Case is About
The plaintiffs filed the action on 3rd September 2026, in their individual capacities, after the Government reportedly refused to allow the corporate registration of The Lawyers’ Society. The Society is a breakaway body of lawyers formed after internal disputes within the Sierra Leone Bar Association.
Their application, brought pursuant to *Sections 124 and 127 of the 1991 Constitution*, which give the Supreme Court original jurisdiction to interpret and enforce the Constitution, seeks interpretation on two key issues:
1. The voting threshold required to validly pass a Constitutional Amendment Bill; and
2. The voting method or procedure that must be followed.
The plaintiffs contend that Parliament purportedly passed the Bill on 10th August 2026 in contravention of the mandatory procedural threshold set out in Section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution.
Section 108(2)(b) requires that a bill seeking to amend the Constitution must be supported by at least *two-thirds of all Members of Parliament*. The opposition and civil society groups had argued that the Bill was not passed with the required supermajority and that proper parliamentary procedure was not followed.
The Lawyers’ Society stressed that the action does not challenge the legislative authority or supremacy of Parliament, but seeks to uphold the Constitution in the process of altering it.
“The protection of the rule of law and the promotion of good governance are central to the Society’s mandate,” the Society said in its 3rd September press release. “Our members have invited the Supreme Court to inquire whether Parliament adhered to the procedures laid down in the Constitution for its own amendment. If it did not, the applicants seek a declaration that the purported passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is null and void.”
Why It Matters
The Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is considered one of the most consequential bills in recent years, as it seeks to amend entrenched provisions of the 1991 Constitution. The purported passage sparked heated debate in Parliament, with the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) questioning the quorum and voting record.
Several other civil society organisations and lawyers have since filed separate Supreme Court challenges, which is why the Attorney-General is now seeking consolidation of all the matters for efficiency and to avoid conflicting judgments.
The Supreme Court’s decision on this matter will set a major precedent on how constitutional amendments must be passed in Sierra Leone and whether the 2025 Amendment can stand.
The Lawyers’ Society says it will keep its membership and the public informed of the progress and outcome of the proceedings.
