3. Independence and the post-colonial legal system

Independence

27 April 1961: Sierra Leone became independent within the Commonwealth under the Independence Constitution of 1961, with the British monarch as head of state and a parliamentary system.

Court reforms: The Local Courts Act 1963 replaced the native courts with local courts applying customary law, and the Courts Act 1965 restated the structure of the general-law courts and the reception of English law.

The Republic and its final court

1971: The Republican Constitution of 1971 made Sierra Leone a republic. A Supreme Court of Sierra Leone became the final court of appeal, ending appeals to the Privy Council.

1978: The 1978 Constitution made Sierra Leone a one-party state.

The 1991 Constitution

Return to multi-party democracy: The Constitution of Sierra Leone, Act No. 6 of 1991, restored multi-party democracy. Chapter VII sets up the Judiciary, with the Superior Court of Judicature made up of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court.

Supreme law: The Constitution is the supreme law, and any law inconsistent with it is void to the extent of the inconsistency.

Local Courts Act 2011: The Local Courts Act 2011 replaced the 1963 Act and brought local courts under the Judiciary, with appeals to the District Appeal Court and the Local Appeals Division of the High Court.