Lawyers’ Society Challenges Constitutional Amendment Bill’s Passage in Supreme Court

The Lawyers’ Society of Sierra Leone has challenged the purported passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025, before the Supreme Court, raising questions over whether the constitutional procedures and voting thresholds required for its passage were properly followed.

The challenge was filed on Thursday, September 3, 2026, by members of the Lawyers’ Society, Thomas Moore Conteh, Esq., and Tamba Kellie, Esq., acting in their personal capacities after the Government of Sierra Leone reportedly refused to grant the Society corporate registration.

The application seeks the Supreme Court’s determination on the legality of the process through which the constitutional amendment bill was purportedly passed.

At the centre of the case is whether the voting method and threshold prescribed by the 1991 Constitution for constitutional amendments were complied with during the bill’s passage.

The applicants maintain that the challenge does not seek to undermine Parliament’s legislative authority. Instead, they are asking the Court to determine whether the constitutional requirements governing amendments to the country’s supreme law were duly observed.

They are specifically seeking clarity on the correct voting procedure and threshold required for a valid constitutional amendment. If the Court determines that the prescribed requirements were not met, the applicants are asking it to declare the purported passage of the bill null and void.

The Lawyers’ Society has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting constitutional principles, the rule of law and good governance, and said it will continue to keep its members and the public informed as the matter progresses before the Supreme Court.

The legal challenge comes amid ongoing public and political debate over the proposed constitutional amendments and the procedures surrounding their passage.