The General Legal Council (GLC) of Sierra Leone has formally condemned the conduct of senior lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara during recent Supreme Court proceedings, describing his exchanges with the bench as discourteous and detrimental to the legal profession, while formally requesting the court to reconsider its custodial punishment against him.
The statement, issued on October 8, 2026, follows a series of heated altercations at the Supreme Court during hearings related to the enactment of the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Act, 2025. The GLC, which serves as the regulatory body for the legal profession, noted that it had been monitoring the proceedings closely. While the Council welcomed the public interest generated by the constitutional matter and commended the judiciary for accrediting media houses to livestream the hearings, it expressed deep concern over the breakdown in decorum between the defense counsel and the Bench, which ultimately led to a contempt of court citation and a subsequent custodial sentence for Kamara.
In its press release, the Council stated that the conduct of the learned senior counsel over the past two days was “discourteous and misrepresentative of the legal profession” in full view of the public. The GLC specifically noted that such behavior was particularly concerning as it was directed at the highest court of the land and specifically against the Honourable Chief Justice of the Republic, who also serves as the President of the Supreme Court.
Citing Rule 4 sub-rule (2) of the Legal Practitioners (Code of Conduct) Rules, 2010, the Council reminded all legal practitioners of their obligation to act courteously and respectfully towards judges, court staff, litigants, and witnesses. The GLC emphasized that maintaining this standard is crucial for the integrity of the judicial process.
In the interest of progressing the matter and fostering a spirit of good working relationship between the Bar and the Bench, the Council called on the Supreme Court to reconsider the custodial punishment. They urged the court to review the sentence either when proceedings resume or at any time practicable before the next hearing date.
The statement was signed by Victor Idrissa Lansana, Esq., General Secretary, and authorized by Ibrahim Kamneh, Esq., Chairman of the Council.
