Legal System of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is located in Africa. It is geographically situated in western africa, bordering the north atlantic ocean, between guinea and liberia. The country achieved independence on 27 april 1961 (from the uk). The capital is Freetown.

Government Overview

Government Type: presidential republic Chief of State: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023) Head of Government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023) Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president Administrative Divisions: 4 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern, Western* National Holiday: Independence Day, 27 April (1961) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Sierra Leone is described as mixed system of English common law and customary law International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: several previous; latest effective 1 October 1991 Amendment Process: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in two successive readings and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms and many other constitutional sections also requires approval in a referendum with participation of at least one half of qualified voters and at least two thirds of votes cast

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court at the top, with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges) Judge Selection: Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman, and are subject to approval by Parliament; all Judicature judges serve until retirement at age 65 Subordinate Courts: magistrates’ courts; District Appeals Court; local courts

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of unicameral Note: note: 14 seats are reserved for “paramount chiefs,” who are indirectly elected to represent the 14 provincial districts

Citizenship and Suffrage

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

Historical Background

Continuously populated for at least 2,500 years, the area now known as Sierra Leone is covered with dense jungle that allowed the region to remain relatively protected from invading West African empires. Traders introduced Sierra Leone to Islam, which occupies a central role in Sierra Leonean culture and history. In the 17th century, the British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown. The trade originally involved timber and ivory but later expanded to enslaved people.

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