Chief Justice Orders Arrest of APC Lawyer During Constitutional Hearing

Chief Justice Komba Kamanda ordered police to arrest senior opposition lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara during proceedings at Sierra Leone’s Supreme Court on Thursday, according to an account published by The Sierra Leone Telegraph.

Kamara, a lawyer for the All People’s Congress and a former Attorney-General, was appearing in preliminary proceedings concerning Parliament’s approval of a proposed constitutional amendment.

Dispute over parliamentary approval

The case centres on whether Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas correctly declared the amendment passed without the support of two-thirds of all elected members of Parliament.

The Sierra Leone Telegraph reported that the Speaker ruled on 10 August 2026 that a simple majority of members present and voting was sufficient under Section 91 of the 1991 Constitution. Opposition APC lawmakers reportedly walked out following the ruling.

President Julius Maada Bio has not signed the proposed amendment into law and asked the Supreme Court to interpret Section 91. APC members of Parliament, including Abdul Timbo, also brought the matter before the court through Kamara, seeking interpretations of Sections 91 and 108.

Courtroom exchange

During the hearing, Kamara argued that the Attorney-General’s Office had not submitted documents he considered necessary, including a Statement of Case, according to the newspaper’s report.

The report said Kamanda accused the lawyer of turning the Supreme Court into a political forum and described the institution as “a court founded on independence and integrity.”

Kamanda then ordered Kamara to remove his wig. The Chief Justice subsequently directed police to arrest him in court.

Kamara apologized twice over the tone of his remarks, the report said. However, Kamanda ruled that the second apology had not been properly delivered.

The Sierra Leone Telegraph reported that Kamara remained in detention until the following Tuesday, when the proceedings were expected to resume. The supplied account does not specify the legal order, statutory basis or conditions of the detention.

Background to the dispute

The case comes amid political disagreement over the proposed constitutional change ahead of Sierra Leone’s 2028 general and presidential elections.

The newspaper also reported that Kamanda was appointed chairman of the ECOWAS Judicial Council after President Bio was elected chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. It said the council comprises the chief justices of the 15 ECOWAS member states.

According to the same report, Kamanda was appointed a judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone on 28 February 2026 on the recommendation of President Bio.

The report further noted that APC lawmakers opposed Kamanda’s nomination as a judge in 2020, alongside the nomination of Justice Alhaji Momojah Stevens. An unnamed APC member cited earlier disputes involving Kamanda as the reason for the party’s opposition.

The arrest, courtroom exchange and detention details have been reported by The Sierra Leone Telegraph. The supplied material does not include responses from Kamanda, the Attorney-General’s Office, the government or the APC beyond the statements described.