Supreme Court Adjourns Constitutional Amendment Hearing Again After Tense Proceedings
Sahid Bangura The Supreme Court of Sierra Leone has reportedly adjourned the ongoing hearing on proposed constitutional amendments to Tuesday, October 13, 2026, following a dramatic second day of proceedings that resulted in the detention of APC Lead Counsel Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, popularly known as JFK.
The latest adjournment came on Thursday, October 8, as the Court continued hearing objections relating to the constitutional amendments passed by Parliament.
Proceedings on Thursday were overshadowed by the contempt proceedings against Kamara after the Court directed him to formally apologize and withdraw a statement made during Wednesday’s hearing.
Chief Justice Komba Kamanda ordered Kamara to remove his wig and enter the dock after the Court determined that his earlier response to its request for an apology was inadequate. Kamara maintained that he had already apologized and retracted the statement, but the Court directed him to specifically withdraw the statement.
Kamara declined to comply with the directive, leading the Court to charge him with contempt of court and order his detention in prison.
The development followed a tense exchange during Wednesday’s opening proceedings, when Kamara challenged the Attorney-General’s Office over what he said was its failure to file a Statement of Case.
The APC lead counsel argued that the Attorney-General’s Notice of Objections had been improperly filed without the required response to the issues raised by the applicants.
Chief Justice Kamanda cautioned counsel during the exchange, stressing that the Supreme Court was not a political platform but an institution founded on independence and integrity. He urged lawyers appearing before the Court to maintain proper courtroom decorum.
Kamara maintained that the process was unfair and insisted that all parties should be afforded an equal opportunity to be heard. The disagreement resulted in a brief stand-down of proceedings.
The Court’s decision to adjourn the constitutional amendment hearing to October 13 now leaves the matter pending amid heightened attention following Kamara’s detention for contempt.
The proceedings stem from the constitutional amendments passed by Parliament and subsequently referred to the Supreme Court for determination of the objections raised against them.