Speaker Thomas Absent as Supreme Court Hears Constitutional Amendment Bill Cases
Osman Tolo Sesay Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas was absent from the Supreme Court on Wednesday as proceedings began in cases challenging aspects of the passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Thomas’ lawyer, Hindolo Gevao Esq., informed the court that the Speaker was unable to attend because he was suffering from diarrhoea.
The Speaker is named as a defendant in one of the legal actions before the Supreme Court arising from the disputed parliamentary process that led to the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
The cases centre on constitutional questions surrounding the procedure and voting threshold Parliament was required to follow when considering the proposed amendments.
The controversy dates to August 10, 2026, when Thomas ruled that the simple-majority provision under Section 91(1) of the 1991 Constitution applied to Parliament’s consideration of the Amendment Bill, rather than the two-thirds requirement under Section 108(2)(b). He subsequently referred a constitutional question concerning the issue to the Supreme Court.
The decision triggered legal challenges, including an action by opposition lawmakers that named Thomas, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and the Clerk of Parliament as defendants.
The Supreme Court’s proceedings could therefore provide authoritative clarification on the constitutional requirements governing the passage of the disputed amendments.
The hearing comes after President Julius Maada Bio referred the matter to the Supreme Court amid ongoing legal challenges and public debate over the legislation.