Post a comment 
During the Government’s weekly press conference on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, Honourable Abdul Sulaiman Marray-Conteh, Chairman of the Legislative Committee of Parliament, provided civic education on the parliamentary process for passing the Constitutional Amendment Bill into law.
Hon. Marray-Conteh explained that while the bill seeks to amend the 1991 Constitution, the legislative process is guided by provisions and Standing Orders entrenched in the current Constitution. “The Constitution is a very dynamic document…it cannot be changed easily,” he stated.
He revealed that the bill has progressed from the pre-legislative engagement phase to its introduction, or First Reading stage, in Parliament. The Speaker has instructed the Legislative Committee to receive position papers from the public to inform debates by Members of Parliament.
The lawmaker outlined the process for the bill’s passage: approval requires a two-thirds majority—approximately 99 of the 149 MPs—for both entrenched and non-entrenched provisions. Entrenched clauses additionally require public approval via referendum.
Hon. Marray-Conteh described the stages in detail: the bill undergoes public consultations, is gazetted twice, and is then presented to Parliament. MPs engage with the bill clause by clause during pre-legislative sessions, followed by the First Reading. The Second Reading allows MPs to debate the bill’s content, and complex bills may be referred to the Legislative Committee for further scrutiny. During the Third Reading, the Committee of the Whole House debates the bill line by line before a simple majority vote can pass it into law.
He assured the public that Parliament remains committed to following due process and upholding democratic norms throughout the legislative process.
