Senior opposition lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara was arrested at Sierra Leone’s Supreme Court on the order of Chief Justice Komba Kamanda during proceedings over a proposed constitutional amendment, according to a report by The Sierra Leone Telegraph.

Kamara, a former Attorney-General and legal representative of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), had challenged filings submitted by the Attorney-General’s Office. He argued that the government had not provided documents required for the case, including a Statement of Case, and maintained that the proceedings were unfair.

The report said the Chief Justice ordered police to detain Kamara after an exchange in court. Kamara was also instructed to remove his wig. In recounting the order, the publication quoted Kamanda as saying Kamara should “undress himself.”

According to the report, Kamara apologised twice for the tone of his remarks. The Chief Justice reportedly concluded that the manner of the apology was inadequate and referred to the Supreme Court as “a court founded on independence and integrity.” The supplied account does not establish the formal legal wording or precise basis of the arrest order.

The report said Kamara remained in detention until the following Tuesday, when the case was expected to resume.

Dispute over constitutional amendment

The proceedings concern whether Speaker of Parliament Segepoh Solomon Thomas was entitled to declare a proposed constitutional amendment passed without the support of two-thirds of all elected members of Parliament.

On 10 August 2026, Thomas reportedly ruled that a simple majority of members present and voting was sufficient under Section 91 of the 1991 Constitution. APC members of Parliament walked out after the declaration.

The amendment had not become law at the time covered by the report. President Julius Maada Bio had not signed it and had asked the Supreme Court to interpret Section 91. APC lawmakers, including Abdul Timbo, also brought the matter before the court through Kamara, seeking interpretation of Sections 91 and 108.

The dispute has political significance for the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party, the opposition APC and the wider public, particularly as the country approaches the 2028 general and presidential elections. The source material does not identify the specific amendment or reproduce the relevant constitutional provisions.

Background on the Chief Justice

The Sierra Leone Telegraph reported that Kamanda became Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States Judicial Council after President Bio was elected Chairman of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments. The council is described as comprising the chief justices of the organisation’s 15 member states.

The publication also reported that Kamanda was appointed a judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone on 28 February 2026 on Bio’s recommendation.

In 2020, APC lawmakers opposed the approval of two of eight presidential nominees for judicial office: Kamanda and Alhaji Momojah Stevens. An unnamed APC member told the publication at the time that Kamanda had removed 10 elected APC MPs from their seats and replaced them with unelected members of the governing SLPP. That allegation is attributed to the unnamed lawmaker and is not independently established in the supplied information.