Legal System of Guinea

Guinea is located in Africa. It is geographically situated in western africa, bordering the north atlantic ocean, between guinea-bissau and sierra leone. The country achieved independence on 2 october 1958 (from france). The capital is Conakry.

Government Overview

Government Type: presidential republic Chief of State: President Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA (since 17 January 2026) Head of Government: Prime Minister Amadou Oury BAH (since 27 February 2024) Cabinet: formerly the Council of Ministers appointed by the president Administrative Divisions: 7 administrative regions (régions administratives, singular - région administrative) and 1 governorate (gouvenorat); Boke, Conakry, Faranah, Kankan, Kindia, Labe, Mamou, N’Zerekore National Holiday: Independence Day, 2 October (1958) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Guinea is described as civil law system based on the French model International Law: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: previous 1958, 1990; 2010 and a referendum in 2020, which was suspended on 5 September 2021 via a coup d’état; on 27 September, the Transitional Charter was released, which supersedes the constitution until a new constitution is promulgated

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (organized into Administrative Chamber and Civil, Penal, and Social Chamber; court consists of the first president, 2 chamber presidents, 10 councilors, the solicitor general, and NA deputies); Constitutional Court - suspended on 5 September 2021 Judge Selection: Supreme Court first president appointed by the national president after consultation with the National Assembly; other members appointed by presidential decree; members serve 9-year terms until age 65 Subordinate Courts: Court of Appeal or Cour d’Appel; High Court of Justice or Cour d’Assises; Court of Account (Court of Auditors); Courts of First Instance (Tribunal de Première Instance); labor court; military tribunal; justices of the peace; specialized courts

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of unicameral Note: note: on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup in which President CONDE was arrested and detained, the constitution suspended, and the government and People’s National Assembly dissolved; in January 2022, an 81-member Transitional National Council was installed; in February 2024, Guinea’s military leaders dissolved the government

Citizenship and Suffrage

Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent: at least one parent must be a citizen of Guinea Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Historical Background

Guinea's deep Muslim heritage arrived via the neighboring Almoravid Empire in the 11th century. Following Almoravid decline, Guinea existed on the fringe of several African kingdoms, all competing for regional dominance. In the 13th century, the Mali Empire took control of Guinea and encouraged its already growing Muslim faith. After the fall of the West African empires, various smaller kingdoms controlled Guinea.

This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Guinea based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.