Lawyers’ Society raises transparency concerns over 2026 Bar Final results

The Lawyers’ Society has raised concerns over the Sierra Leone Law School’s decision to release the 2026 Bar Final Examination results through individual emails rather than public notice, questioning the transparency of the process, reported errors in students’ results and the short preparation period allowed for resit examinations.

The Society says several students have reported not receiving their results, while others allege that their grades were wrongly entered. It argues that the method adopted by the School departs from the longstanding practice of publishing examination results on its Notice Board, making it difficult for candidates to independently verify their status.

According to the Society, two notices issued by the Law School Registrar on 8 November outlined the circumstances surrounding the release of the results and arrangements for resit examinations. One notice stated that results were emailed on 7 November, adding that non-receipt could be linked to examination failure, incorrect email addresses or unpaid tuition fees.

A separate notice directed students to pay Le2,000 per subject between 9 and 13 November, ahead of resit examinations scheduled to begin on Monday, 16 November.

The Lawyers’ Society has questioned the suggestion that failure to receive an email could indicate examination failure, arguing that administrative issues should not be confused with academic performance. It also maintains that withholding results over unpaid fees is inappropriate, saying examination results should not be used as a debt collection mechanism.

The Society further considers the timeframe between the release of results and the commencement of resits unreasonable, particularly for students whose results have yet to be confirmed or corrected.

It says it has engaged the Law School administration, which is currently verifying contested results ahead of the scheduled resit examinations.

The organisation is calling on the administration to publish the full 2025/2026 Bar Final results on its Notice Board and official website, establish a transparent process for affected candidates to verify their results, and extend the payment deadline and resit schedule to allow adequate preparation time.

It has also urged the School to ensure that future examination results are released fairly and transparently, in line with established practice.

The Lawyers’ Society says it remains committed to engaging the relevant authorities to protect fairness, the integrity of the legal profession and the welfare of aspiring lawyers.