Presidential candidate of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA), Martina Baindu Egbenda, has issued a press release raising concerns over the continued enforcement of a subscription deadline that may disenfranchise members ahead of the rescheduled Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections.

Egbenda acknowledged the General Notice dated 19th June 2026, which sets 31st July and 1st August 2026 as the new dates for the deferred AGM and elections. While noting that members would welcome the certainty provided by the announcement, she emphasised that a critical issue remains unresolved.

According to her statement, the SLBA Executive has maintained its position that only members who paid their Conference and Annual Subscription Fees on or before 29th May 2026 will be eligible to access the Conference Centre, vote, or contest in the elections. She pointed out that the initial deadline was justified solely on the basis that elections were imminent at the time.

However, those elections did not take place, and the AGM was subsequently postponed. Members were later informed that the Treasurer would utilise the additional time to verify payments and reconcile records with the bank.

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Egbenda argued that if extra time was necessary for administrative processes, fairness equally demands that members be allowed to continue paying their subscriptions and regularising their membership ahead of the newly scheduled elections.

“The obvious question, therefore, is this: what legitimate purpose is served by preventing willing members from subscribing to their own Association before the new election date?” she asked.

She further noted that the rationale for the May 29 deadline no longer holds, given that the elections it was tied to did not occur. Maintaining a closed subscription period under these circumstances, she said, contradicts the principles of inclusivity and participation that should guide the Association.

“The Sierra Leone Bar Association should encourage participation, not restrict it,” Egbenda stated, adding that membership should not be “artificially frozen” when the event for which the deadline was created has been postponed.

She also described the situation as perplexing in light of repeated public assertions by the current Executive that it enjoys overwhelming support within the legal profession and is confident of victory.

“If that confidence is genuine, then reopening subscriptions should not be viewed as a threat,” she remarked.

Egbenda has therefore publicly challenged the Executive to reopen subscriptions and allow members to regularize their status until 20th July 2026. She suggested that this would still provide sufficient time for administrative verification ahead of the elections.

Concluding her statement, she called on the leadership of the Association to uphold its responsibility to all members and ensure that no one is disenfranchised.

“The Bar belongs to all its members,” she affirmed.