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The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, has responded to concerns raised by Hon. Osman Abdal Timbo regarding compliance with constitutional procedures in the processing of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Attorney-General disclosed that he had formally dispatched a response to Timbo’s letter. He further noted that since the lawmaker had published his correspondence on social media—tagging him in the process—he considered it appropriate, in the spirit of openness and accountability, to also make public copies of the Bill as published in two issues of the Government Gazette.
According to the Attorney-General, the Gazette publications were made pursuant to Section 108(2)(a) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone and were provided by the Government Printer. He emphasized that sharing the documents publicly reflects his office’s commitment to transparency and public accountability.
The development follows a formal letter written by Timbo to the Attorney-General’s Office, in which the Member of Parliament questioned whether the constitutional requirement for publication had been fully satisfied prior to the Bill’s first reading in Parliament.
Section 108(2)(a) of the 1991 Constitution mandates that any Bill seeking to amend the Constitution must be published in at least two issues of the Government Gazette before its first reading in Parliament, with a minimum of nine days between the first and second publications.
Timbo noted that the Amendment Bill was laid before Parliament for first reading on 27 January 2025 and that Members of Parliament received copies of the Supplement to the Sierra Leone Gazette, Volume CLXVI, No. 103. However, he stated that he had not identified evidence of a second publication as required by law.
The lawmaker further disclosed that inquiries made with parliamentary staff and searches conducted at the Government Printing Department did not initially yield any record of a second Gazette publication. He therefore requested confirmation from the Attorney-General and, if applicable, copies of any additional Gazette issue evidencing compliance.
Timbo maintained that the procedural safeguards governing constitutional amendments are mandatory and not discretionary, stressing that strict adherence is essential to preserving legality, legitimacy, and public confidence in the legislative process. He also indicated that failure to comply with the publication requirement would necessitate withdrawal of the Bill until constitutional procedures are fully observed.
With the Attorney-General now publishing what he describes as the relevant Gazette issues, the matter shifts to public scrutiny as stakeholders examine whether the constitutional requirements under Section 108 have been satisfied.
