Salone Compass Newspaper

President Julius Maada Bio has sent the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill to the Supreme Court, shifting the heated constitutional battle from Parliament and the political arena to the country’s highest court.
Invoking Section 122(1) of the 1991 Constitution, Bio has sought judicial clarification on the constitutional questions surrounding the Bill, particularly the disputed voting threshold required for constitutional amendments.
With the APC already challenging the parliamentary process, the judiciary now faces a defining test: determining whether Parliament followed the Constitution while seeking to amend the Constitution itself.
The Supreme Court’s interpretation could settle the immediate controversy and establish an important precedent for future constitutional amendments.

The APC is gearing up for a major Supreme Court showdown over the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill.
At the heart of the case is whether 96 votes were enough to advance the Bill or whether the Constitution required 100 votes—two-thirds of all 149 MPs.
With its cases filed and legal precedents being assembled, the APC says it is ready for battle as the dispute moves from Parliament to the courtroom.

President Julius Maada Bio faces a defining constitutional decision following Parliament’s controversial passage of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Bill 2025.
At the heart of the dispute is whether Parliament met the constitutionally required voting threshold, with critics insisting that 100 votes—two-thirds of the full 149-member House—were required. The APC, legal practitioners, civil society and other stakeholders have raised objections, with calls for President Bio to withhold assent pending Supreme Court clarification.
The Bill proposes far-reaching electoral reforms, including reducing the presidential first-round threshold to 50% plus one, entrenching proportional representation and introducing a 30% quota for women’s nominations.
With the 2028 elections approaching, the stakes are high. Signing now could deepen legal and political uncertainty; awaiting the Supreme Court could settle the constitutional dispute before the reforms take effect.
President Bio now stands at a constitutional crossroads: sign the Bill or wait for the Court to speak.