Lawyers Urge President to Reject Security Bill Over Immunity, Oversight

Lawyers Urge President to Reject Security Bill Over Immunity, Oversight

The Lawyers’ Society of Sierra Leone has formally expressed significant reservations concerning the recently passed National Security and Central Intelligence Bill. The Society urgently petitions the President to withhold his assent to the legislation, advocating for a comprehensive secondary review and more extensive stakeholder consultation.

In an official statement released on 29 April 2026, the Society asserted that the parliamentary passage of the bill—conducted without the participation of opposition members—compromises the principles of inclusivity and transparency essential to robust governance. The organization maintained that excluding primary stakeholders from such critical legislative actions risks a substantial erosion of public confidence in the nation’s democratic institutions.

Furthermore, the Society observed that this lack of multi-party engagement is fundamentally at odds with the spirit of existing national unity agreements and may further destabilize public trust in the state's administrative frameworks.

Primary legal concerns were raised regarding the establishment of the State Protection Service (SPS). The Society specifically highlighted clauses providing immunity from criminal prosecution, characterizing them as potentially unconstitutional. It argued that these provisions directly challenge the foundational legal principle that every individual and institution must remain subject to the rule of law.

While the Society recognizes the necessity of effective security protocols for high-ranking officials, it counsels against the expansion of such institutions in the absence of rigorous accountability mechanisms.

It cautioned that security structures lacking proper oversight pose a systemic threat to democratic governance and must be strictly regulated within the constitutional framework.

Consequently, the Society urges the President to exercise his authority to withhold assent, thereby facilitating bipartisan deliberation and ensuring a more representative legislative process.

The Society concluded that such an intervention would serve as a vital reaffirmation of the government’s dedication to constitutionalism, transparency, and national cohesion.

The Lawyers’ Society of Sierra Leone remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding justice, constitutional integrity, and the preservation of democratic principles across the Republic.