By Saidu Jalloh, Reporter, D.S.
In a significant legal ruling, the High Court of Sierra Leone has dismissed a request to block the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) elections, allowing the extraordinary general meeting to proceed as scheduled at 3:00 PM today, December 10, 2025. The ruling clears the way for the nomination and election of representatives to the General Legal Council (GLC).
The legal challenge was brought by Augustine Sorie-Sengbe Marrah and others who sought an interim order to prevent the SLBA and Tuma Adama Jabbi, the plaintiffs, from holding the meeting. Their argument also included a request to maintain current SLBA members in their roles on the GLC until further court orders could be issued.
However, the plaintiffs objected, citing that they had not received the mandatory “two clear days’ notice” before the hearing—instead, they were served with the application only on Monday, December 8, for a scheduled hearing on Tuesday morning.
In response, the defense argued that they had attempted to serve the application on December 5 but faced delays due to the plaintiffs’ unavailability, which resulted in the late notice. Marrah’s counsel referenced a precedent from July 2024, where a similar application had been heard without the required notice, asserting that fairness should grant them the same judicial discretion in this instance.
Despite these appeals, Justice A. T. Ganda upheld the plaintiffs’ objection, declining to grant the interim order or hear the application on its merits. The court’s decision ensures that the SLBA elections for GLC representatives will proceed as planned.
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