4. The constitutions of Sierra Leone

Colonial constitutions

1863: Created an executive council and a legislative council for the Colony, both dominated by officials.

1924: Introduced elected members to the Legislative Council and brought Paramount Chiefs from the Protectorate into it.

1951: Brought the Colony and Protectorate together in a legislature with an elected majority, a major step toward self-government.

Independence and after

1961: The Independence Constitution created a parliamentary system with the British monarch as head of state, represented by a Governor-General.

1971: The Republican Constitution created an executive presidency and a Supreme Court as the final court of appeal.

1978: The one-party constitution made the All People's Congress the only lawful party.

1991: The present Constitution restored multi-party democracy, entrenched fundamental human rights in Chapter III and set out the Judiciary in Chapter VII.

Why the history matters

Continuity of law: Each new constitution preserved existing law so far as consistent with it. That is why colonial ordinances and pre-1880 English statutes can still be in force today.