Chieftaincy

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 2024

Principle established: Challenges to paramount chieftaincy elections may be brought on grounds of non-compliance with statutory provisions regarding the qualification or disqualification of candidates.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1961

Principle established: The statutory phrase 'any person' in tribal administration legislation must be construed within the statutory context as meaning only a person belonging to the particular tribe for which a headman is chosen.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1961

Principle established: A candidate's genealogical descent required for paramount chieftaincy cannot be established by insufficient and uncorroborated hearsay evidence.

Ghana · 2026

Principle established: A court cannot ignore the violation of a statute, as statutory compliance is mandatory and any infraction must be addressed by the court.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1963

Principle established: An election to paramount chieftaincy will not be invalidated for lack of qualification where the evidence sufficiently establishes the candidate's descent from a ruling house.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1963

Principle established: An election to paramount chieftaincy is upheld where there is sufficient evidence proving the candidate's descent from a ruling house.