Post a comment 
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has deferred signing the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Act, 2025 opting instead to refer a petition challenging the legislation to the nation’s Supreme Court for a judicial opinion.
The intervention follows a formal petition submitted to the President on September 4, 2026, by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), which raised constitutional questions regarding Parliament’s passage of the bill. The Clerk of Parliament subsequently presented the legislation to President Bio for his presidential assent on September 10.
In a September 14 press release from the State House, President Bio cited the ongoing public debate and differing views surrounding the legislation as key factors in his decision.
The President stated that any bill affecting the republic’s constitutional and democratic foundations requires “broad national consensus” and definitive constitutional clarity to maintain public trust in Sierra Leone’s review process.
Acting under Section 122(1) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, the President has directed the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to facilitate the immediate referral of the petition to the Supreme Court.
The controversial bill was passed on 10 August 2026 after Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas ruled that individual provisions of the constitutional amendment Bill could be passed by a simple majority of members present, rather than the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional amendments.
At the centre of the dispute is the interpretation of Section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution, which requires that a Bill seeking to alter the Constitution be supported on second and third readings by “the votes of not less than two-thirds of the Members of Parliament”.
Following the Speaker’s ruling, opposition All People’s Congress (APC) lawmakers walked out of Parliament, arguing that the two-thirds requirement applies to all substantive decisions affecting the constitutional text. Only two opposition MPs remained in the chamber.
With 149 Members of Parliament, two-thirds amounts to 100 votes. The APC contends that the Bill was purportedly passed by only 96 members, falling short of the constitutional requirement.
The APC has maintained that the Speaker’s ruling conflicts with both Section 108(2)(b) and Standing Order 44(3), which similarly requires a two-thirds majority.
The Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025 proposes major reforms, including reducing the presidential election victory threshold from 55 percent to 50 percent plus one vote, with a geographic spread requirement; making proportional representation the permanent electoral system for ordinary Members of Parliament; introducing a constitutional minimum 30 percent quota for women in political nominations; and expanding eligibility for dual citizens to contest parliamentary seats and hold public office.
The State House has officially notified the Clerk of Parliament that if the Supreme Court does not deliver its judicial opinion within fourteen days of the bill’s initial presentation, the President will hold his final decision and communicate it to Parliament at the earliest opportunity once the court’s guidance is received.
The administration described the referral as an “unprecedented step” intended to ensure that matters of profound national importance are handled with transparency, due diligence, and fidelity to the constitution.
