By Sallieu S, Kanu
Freetown, 11 August 2026 – The Lawyers’ Society has raised alarm over the reported passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 by Parliament without securing the constitutionally required two‑thirds majority of the total membership.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Society cited Section 108(2)(b) of the 1991 Constitution, which expressly requires the votes of at least two‑thirds of all Members of Parliament for any constitutional amendment. It stressed that a two‑thirds majority of members present and voting, or a simple majority under Section 91, does not satisfy this threshold.
The Society recalled that during proceedings on the removal of Auditor‑General Lara Taylor‑Pearce, the Speaker himself distinguished between “two‑thirds of Parliament” and “two‑thirds in Parliament,” recognising that the former refers to the total membership. It expressed concern that the Speaker now appears to have departed from that position in relation to the amendment bill.
“Allowing a constitutional amendment to pass without the constitutionally required majority would set a dangerous precedent,” the statement warned, adding that such a move undermines the very foundation of constitutional democracy.
The Lawyers’ Society urged the President, the Speaker, Members of Parliament, the legal profession, civil society and citizens to uphold the principle that constitutional change must strictly follow the procedures laid down in the supreme law of the land.