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REPORT OF THE COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE CONSTITUTION OF SIERRA LEONE, 1991 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Amendments recommended Chapter 1 - The Chapter II - Fundamental Principles of
State Policy Chapter III - Citizenship Chapter IV - The Recognition and
Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms of the individual Chapter V - The Representation of the
People Chapter VI - The Executive Chapter VII - The Legislature Chapter VIII - The Judiciary Chapter IX - The Ombudsman Chapter X - Human Rights Commission Chapter XI - Local Government Chapter XII - Commissions of Inquiry Chapter XIII - The Public Service
Commission Chapter XIV - The Chapter XV - Prisons Service Council Chapter XVI - Extractive Industries
Transparency Commission Chapter XVII - Independent Forces Complaints
Commission Chapter XVIII - Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs) Regulatory Board 3 | P a g e I N T R O D U C T I O N Government Notice No.6, Vol. CXXXVIII
of the January 2007, published the establishment and
membership of a Commission for the review of the 1991 Constitution with the
following Terms of Reference: “To review the amendments that might bring it
up-to-date with the economic, social and political developments that have taken place
nationally and internationally since 1991”. 2. The Commission was also asked to
take into consideration the following among others: “The
experience gained since 1996 in the implementation of the 1991 Constitution; Omissions
and lacuna in the 1991 Constitution which affect its operation as a democratic Constitution; Improvement
on certain provisions of the Constitution that may enhance democratic governance; and Whether the
fundamental principles of State Policy should be justifiable.” 3. The under-mentioned persons were
appointed to represent the following organizations and institutions: Dr. Peter L. Tucker CHAIRMAN 4 | P a g e ALL PEOPLES CONGRESS PARTY Mr. William J. Smith Mr. Osman F. Yansaneh ALL POLITICAL PARTIES ASSOCIATION Madam Isata D. Banugra - PMDC Mr. Mahmoud Ahmed Koroma - PDP Mr. Sulaiman Lionel Thomas - NDA Mr. Samuel Gbessay Kanu (Deceased) -
RUFP Mr. Osman B. Conteh - UNPP CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE Ms. Valnora Edwin CIVIL SOCIETY MOVEMENT – SIERRA LEONE Mr. Festus Ewaaka Minah COALITION OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND HUMAN
RIGHTS ACTIVISTS Mr. Charles Mambu COUNCIL OF Alhaji P.C. I.B. Kamara-Koroma P.C. Dr. J. Sinnah-Yovonie Kangova II P.C. Alhaji Yembeh Mansaray III FIFTY/FIFTY GROUP OF SIERRA LEONE Mrs. Harriett Turay INTER-RELIGIOUS COUNCIL OF SIERRA
LEONE Alhaji Dr. A.B. Karim Rev. L.B. Rogers-Wright 5 | P a g e LAW OFFICERS’ DEPARTMENT Tunde Cole Esq. O.V. Robbin-Mason Esq. LAW REFORM COMMISSION Hon. Justice N.C. Browne-Marke E.E.C. Shears-Moses Esq. LOCAL COUNCIL Dr. Wusu Sannoh Mr. David Woobay NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR DEMCORACY Mr. George Coleridge-Taylor NATIONAL Mr. Umaru Koroma Professor A.M. Alghali OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN Francis Gabbidon Esq. PRESIDENT’S NOMINEES Mr. Onesimus Babatunde Walker Mr. Josef O. Carpenter SIERRA LEONE ASSOCIATION OF
JOURNALISTS Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo 6 | P a g e SIERRA LEONE ASSOCIATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS Mr. Aiah Foday-Khabenje SIERRA LEONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE Alhaji Musa King SIERRA LEONE LABOUR CONGRESS Mr. Mohamed A. Deen SIERRA LEONE MARKET WOMEN’S
ASSOCIATION Ms. Marie Bangura SIERRA LEONE PEOPLE’S PARTY Mr. Anthony Y. Brewah Hon. Dr. Bernadette Lahai SIERRA LEONE TEACHERS Mr. Abdulai B. Koroma Mr. Davidson A. Kuyateh THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER Mr. B.J. Temple THE JUDICIARY Hon. Justice M.E. Tolla Thompson Hon. Justice Salimatu Koroma THE LT. COL. I.M. Koroma 7 | P a g e THE SIERRA LEONE BAR ASSOCIATION Nasiru D. Tejan-Cole Esq. Yada Williams Esq. THE SIERRA LEONE POLICE Superintendent M.B. Kamara THE Eke Halloway Esq. SECRETARY Mr. S.A.T. Tamu 4. The Secretariat was assisted by two
Research Assistants of the Law Reform Commission, i.e. Mr. Drucil Taylor and Ms. Viola
Johnson and a Legal Counsel of the National Public Procurement Authority, Mr. Farid
Alghali. The Administrative Staff of the
Commission included an Accountant, Mr. Sahr M.K. James, two Computer Typists, Mrs.
Cecilia Paton-Cole and Mrs. Georgiana Johnson. The support staff included three
messengers, Messrs Foray Swarray, Olick Parker and Alfred Banugra and two drivers. Messrs Abu
Koroma and Foday Bangura. The Commission was housed at the Law Reform Commission’s
Office, 3A permission of the Law Reform
Commission. 5. The Commission was formally
launched on the 27th of January 2007. Meetings were held on Tuesdays and Thursday 2 p.m. –
5 p.m. and on Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The meetings were held in private in
order to encourage Commissioners to express their views freely. The quorum for the
meetings was fixed at twelve, which allowed the Commission to commence its work
without any delay. However, actual attendance at meetings was always far above that
number. Every member of the Commission was encouraged to speak on any topic and
was given as much time as was necessary to do so. Decisions were taken by consensus. 8 | P a g e 6. The Commission started by having
radio discussions, a Press Conference and Press Release of its terms of reference and
inviting the public to submit to its secretariat their views and comments. The following were
among those who responded immediately: 7. Dr. Abdulai O. Conteh, Chief
Justice of 8. Mr. O.B. Walker 9. The Sierra Leone Association of
Journalists (SLAJ) also submitted a paper entitled “A Position Statement on Media Law
Reform.” 10. Mr. Benedict Sannoh, Chief, Human
Rights and Rule of Law Section, United Nations Integrated office in Sierra Leone
(UNIOSIL) delivered a Paper entitled “The human Rights provisions of the 1991
Constitution and the Way Forward”. 11. The Commission thoroughly discussed
the Constitution, section by section, taking the above submissions into account, and
made references to several Constitutions in and the developed world. Frequent
references were made to the Constitutions of the practical experiences gained during
the last seventeen (17) years and the need to fill any lacuna to improve upon some of the
provisions so as to make them functional. 12. The Commission also discussed and
agreed to recommend the inclusion of the following provisions which are not in the 1991
Constitution: a Second Chamber of Parliament, the Prisons Service Council; Independent
Forces Complaints Commission; Parliamentary Service Commission; Extractive
industries transparency Commission, Citizenship and the Non-Governmental Organizations
Regulatory Board. 13. A Preliminary Report which formed
the basis of a nation-wide consultation was produced in March, 2007. 14. The Preliminary Report was
introduced to the public at a Press Conference held at the British Council on April 15, 2007. The
Press Conference was attended by members of both the electronic and print media as
well as members of the diplomatic corps, the DOWNLOAD FULL PDF
REPORT HERE |
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