Sierra Leone government intervenes in SLBA dispute over AGM postponement
FREETOWN – The Sierra Leone government has formally intervened in the ongoing dispute within the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) over the indefinite postponement of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the status of the association’s executive mandate.
In a letter dated 2 June 2026, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay – acting as Titular Head of the Sierra Leone Bar – directed the incumbent executive to withdraw its postponement notice issued on 1 June 2026, confirm a specific date for the AGM, and notify all members through all available channels that the meeting will proceed as scheduled.
Sesay stated that the executive’s two-year mandate expired on 17 May 2026 under Article 20 of the SLBA’s Memorandum and Articles of Association. He argued that Article 22, which allows the President to remain in office until a successor is elected, is a limited holdover provision and does not confer authority upon an expired executive to make substantive decisions.
The Attorney General cited Section 185(1) of the Companies Act 2009, which requires every company to hold an AGM annually with no more than fifteen months between successive meetings. He described an indefinite postponement as “tantamount to cancellation” and a breach of statute.
The letter noted that the current executive should be restricted to routine administrative functions as a caretaker body.
Sesay warned that “several legal and constitutional options remain available to ensure compliance” with the Companies Act, the Articles of Association, and the rule of law.
The letter was copied to the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Solicitor General, the Executive Director of the National Investment Board, and the Chairman of the General Legal Council.
