The Parliament of Sierra Leone passed the National Counter-Terrorism Act of 2024 on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, after a thorough review and with some amendments.

The bill aims to establish a National Counter-Terrorism Coordination Committee, define terrorism-related offenses, enforce measures against terrorist funds, prohibit financial support to terrorism, and address other related matters.

The passage of the bill followed a report presented by Hon. Abdul Sulaiman Marray-Conteh, Chairman of the Legislative Committee, to the Committee of the Whole House. Hon. Marray-Conteh detailed the amendments made by the committee, which included revisions to sentences, content, clauses, parts, terms of imprisonment, and fines. The bill was piloted by the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Saptiru Elizabeth Saccoh.

Both ruling and opposition members of Parliament unanimously approved the bill, demonstrating cross-party support for the legislation. The bill will become law upon receiving the President’s assent.

Related News

Once enacted, the Counter-Terrorism Act of 2024 will provide a legal framework for addressing terrorism and related issues, including enforcement measures on terrorist financing.

In a significant move to balance security and civil liberties, the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, along with members of Parliament, incorporated exclusions from the African Union Model Anti-Terrorism Law into the bill’s definition of terrorist acts. These exclusions ensure that the following activities are not considered terrorism:

  • Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly
  • Labor actions, strikes, and other forms of peaceful protest
  • Advocacy or political opposition expressed through democratic means
  • Acts committed in the course of civil disobedience movements, provided they are non-violent and do not pose a serious risk to public safety.

Deputy Minister of Justice Saptiru Elizabeth Saccoh moved the motion for the bill’s final approval, which was met with unanimous support. Following the passage of the bill, she expressed her satisfaction, emphasizing the legislation’s importance in strengthening Sierra Leone’s counterterrorism efforts and fulfilling its international obligations.