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Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay has denied allegations that he instructed the Sierra Leone Police to prevent the Sierra Leone Bar Association from holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and executive elections last week.
Speaking during an interview with Truth Media, Sesay rejected claims that he directed the police to stop the gathering, while stating that he is engaging senior members of the legal profession to organise a national dialogue aimed at developing what he described as “a clear roadmap” for the future of Sierra Leone’s legal profession.
The Bar Association’s AGM and executive elections, scheduled for 31 July 2026 at the Freetown International Conference Centre in Aberdeen, were disrupted after police officers reportedly blocked access to the venue.
Lawyers who had travelled from different parts of the country were reportedly prevented from entering the venue, with officers allegedly citing “orders from above” as the reason for the action. The meeting was subsequently postponed indefinitely.
The Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ) stated that no court order authorising the suspension of the meeting had been made public.
The disruption occurred amid an ongoing dispute surrounding the governance of the Sierra Leone Bar Association. On 23 July 2026, High Court Justice Mark Ngegba directed the Association’s leadership to produce audited financial statements and publish a verified voter register in line with the Companies Act, 2009.
The court directive followed an application before the National Investment Board concerning delays in convening the AGM and came amid public disagreements between Attorney General Alpha Sesay and the Bar Association’s executive over the postponement of an earlier meeting scheduled for June 2026.
