Law reporting and legal research | Lanbuk on Sierra Leone Legal System

In simple terms

works only if judgments can be found. Sierra Leone has had a patchy history of law reporting, and today much of its case law is published free online.

History of reporting

Colonial reports: Decisions of Sierra Leone courts appeared in the African Law Reports (Sierra Leone Series) and in the West African Court of Appeal reports.

After independence: Sierra Leone Law Reports were published for a period after independence, but regular official reporting later stalled for many years.

Problems

Gaps: Many important judgments were never reported, which makes it hard for lawyers and judges to know the law and weakens the doctrine of precedent.

Today

Online publication: Free online legal information databases now publish judgments and legislation free online, using media neutral citations such as [1999] SLSC 11 for the Supreme Court and SLCA for the Court of Appeal.

How to read a citation

Parts: A citation gives the case name, the year, the report series or court code, and the page or number. Square brackets show that the year is part of the citation; round brackets show only the date of decision.

Memory map

Law reporting and legal research

History of reporting

Colonial reports
After independence

Problems

Gaps

Today

Online publication

Key points

Colonial decisions are in the African Law…
Official law reporting stalled for many years…
Judgments are now published free online with…
Square-bracket years are part of the citation

Take-home points

Colonial decisions are in the African Law Reports (Sierra Leone Series) and WACA reports.
Official law reporting stalled for many years after independence.
Judgments are now published free online with media neutral citations such as SLSC and SLCA.
Square-bracket years are part of the citation; round-bracket years are not.

Quiz me on this topic

← Judicial precedent Civil procedure in the High Court →