Supreme Court Stops Live Coverage of Constitutional Amendment Hearing as Government Seeks Dismissal
Deborah Sorie The Supreme Court of Sierra Leone has scheduled a direction hearing involving the applicants and defendants in the consolidated cases challenging the parliamentary passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
According to a notice issued by the Court, the parties are required to appear before Chief Justice Komba Kamanda in his chambers on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. The notice states that the hearing will not be broadcast live and that media coverage is not required.
The hearing comes as the Government seeks to have the consolidated cases dismissed on the grounds that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to examine the parliamentary proceedings through which the Bill was declared passed.
In a Notice of Motion filed on 16 October 2026, the Law Officers’ Department asked the Court to strike out the cases, arguing that constitutional provisions protect parliamentary proceedings from judicial inquiry and that the Court cannot review the validity of a proposed law before presidential assent.
The Government also argues that the cases could interfere with the President’s constitutional powers and seeks a suspension of further proceedings until its application is determined.
The challenge centres on whether Parliament complied with the constitutional requirement that amendments to the Constitution receive the support of at least two-thirds of all Members of Parliament.
Parliament treated the Bill as passed on 10 August 2026, following a walkout by opposition APC Members of Parliament. The Speaker reportedly ruled that a simple majority of members present was sufficient for votes on individual provisions. Challengers dispute that interpretation, arguing that the Bill required at least 100 votes in a 149-member Parliament.
The proposed amendments include changes to the threshold for winning a presidential election in the first round, reducing it from 55 per cent to 50 per cent plus one vote, as well as changes to parliamentary election rules. The changes are intended to apply to the 2028 elections.
The three challenges, brought by opposition parliamentarians, the APC and other citizens, were consolidated by the Supreme Court on 8 October. The Court also permitted the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice to participate as a friend of the court.
Separately, President Julius Maada Bio has sought the Supreme Court’s guidance on the constitutional questions surrounding the Bill before deciding whether to assent to it.
The outcome of the Government’s application could determine whether the consolidated challenges proceed to a substantive hearing or are dismissed on jurisdictional grounds.
The direction hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, 20 October 2026, with the parties expected to appear through their respective lawyers.