SIERRA LEONE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM

Sierra Leone

Oct. 22, 2013

COAT OF ARMS OF SIERRA LEONE IN THIS ISSUE

Structure of Government
by Kacey Marshall

Sierra Leone won independence from the United Kingdom on April 27, 1961. Since then, it has become a constitutional democracy. The government is made up of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.

as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In order to be elected, the nominee must: Be a Sierra Leone citizen by birth Be at least 40 years old Be a member of a political party Be able to speak and read English

Ernest Bai KOROMA

The President of Sierra Leone is Ernest Bai KOROMA. He has been in office since September 17, 2007. His second term will end in 2017.

National Legislature
The National Legislature of Sierra Leone is made up of 124 seats. 112 of these members are elected by popular vote, and are based on proportional representation. The other twelve members are paramount chiefs for each district. Members of this branch serve a five year term.

Judicial Branch
The legal system of Sierra Leone is based on a combination of English common law and customary law. There are three courts in the judicial branch. They are the Superior Court of Judicature, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court of Justice. The superior court consists of the Supreme Court, along with the chief justice and four other judges. The Court of Appeal consists of the chief justice and seven other judges. The High Court of Justice consists of the chief justice and nine other judges. The Superior Court of the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters. Members are selected by the President and a council, and are approved by Parliament. They serve from the time they are elected until they are 65 year old.

Executive Branch
The executive branch is made up of the president and his cabinet. Members of the cabinet are selected by the president and are approved by the House of Representatives. The Vice President is one of these members.

Article Title
President Obama hosted President Ernest Bai KOROMA at the White House in March 2013.

President
The President is the Chief of State and the Head of Government. He is elected by popular vote, and can hold up to two fiveyear terms. His responsibilities include appointing the Ministers of State and acting

All information From: Africa: Sierra Leone. (n.d). In The World Factbook. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworld-factbook/geos/sl.html