State in Sierra Leone

The Government of Sierra Leone, commonly called the GoSL, operates under the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991. Sierra Leone is a sovereign republic, and sovereignty belongs to the people. The President heads the State and Government, commands the armed forces and leads the executive through the Cabinet and public institutions. Parliament is unicameral and exercises the main legislative authority. The Judiciary is independent and includes the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, Magistrates' Courts and Local Courts. The Constitution, Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, common law, equity and customary law form the main sources of law. Legislation and other instruments are published in the Gazette as required. Sierra Leone has five administrative regions: Northern Province, North-West Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province and Western Area. The country has 16 districts, 22 Local Councils and 190 chiefdoms. Freetown is the capital. Sierra Leone is not a federal state; the regional level mainly coordinates administration. Local Councils provide city, municipal and district governance, devolved services, local by-laws and local revenue collection under the Local Government Act 2022. Chiefdom Councils and Paramount Chiefs exercise customary and traditional governance, including customary by-laws, land held in trust, cultural functions and aspects of local order. These formal and customary systems operate in parallel, and responsibilities can be institutionally fragmented. The Office of the President, Cabinet and Ministries, Departments and Agencies, known as MDAs, carry out executive and administrative work. The Office of the Chief Minister coordinates whole-of-government delivery and performance. The Ministry of Public Administration and Political Affairs has responsibility for public-service reform. Other public-service bodies include the Public Service Commission, the Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, the Human Resource Management Office, the Public Sector Reform Unit, the Wages and Compensation Commission and the Civil Service Training College. People and businesses normally use the direct channel of the responsible ministry, department, agency, council or other public institution. Administrative decisions must follow lawful procedures and public-service ethics. Parliament makes laws, ratifies treaties, scrutinizes the budget and oversees the executive. Its committees include Standing and Oversight Committees, the Public Accounts Committee, the Finance Committee and the Appointments and Public Service Committee. Parliamentary powers include summoning ministers, requesting witnesses and documents, and conducting inquiries. Public sittings and parliamentary documents are available according to parliamentary rules. The Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone belongs to the separate elections field; elections, candidacy, voting and results are not part of this general State structure. The Judiciary provides the court structure for criminal, constitutional and other judicial proceedings. The Judiciary and the Judicial and Legal Service Commission support judicial and legal administration. Access to a court depends on the relevant court rules, filing requirements and representation arrangements. Local Courts provide statutory local justice, although their institutional placement and possible reversion remain subject to ongoing governance arrangements. Private disputes about contracts, property or other civil-law claims concern the civil-law system rather than the general constitutional structure of the State. Several bodies oversee public power. The Auditor-General and the Audit Service Sierra Leone audit the Consolidated Fund, central and local government, public offices and public enterprises under the constitutional audit framework. Annual audit reports go to Parliament and the public. The Anti-Corruption Commission prevents, investigates and prosecutes corruption, handles asset declarations and receives complaints or referrals. The Ombudsman examines administrative complaints against Government and public agencies. The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone promotes and protects human rights as the national human rights institution. The Law Reform Commission reviews laws. These institutions have formal mandates, but practical control can depend on institutional capacity and resources. The Right to Access Information Act 2013 allows requests for information held by public authorities. A Public Information Officer handles requests, while public bodies also have proactive publication duties. Requests may be made in a local language where permitted. Exemptions, response procedures and appeals follow the Act. Public procurement is regulated and monitored by the National Public Procurement Authority, known as the NPPA. Suppliers can use the electronic government procurement system for registration and bidding. Procurement rules emphasize competition, transparency and value for money. Public finance is governed by Part VI of the Constitution, the Public Financial Management Act 2016 and the Public Financial Management Regulations 2018. The Ministry of Finance prepares the budget, manages fiscal policy and controls public expenditure, with public consultation forming part of the budget process. Annual estimates and appropriation require parliamentary consideration, and government revenue is paid into the Consolidated Fund. The National Revenue Authority, established under the NRA Act 2022, administers domestic taxes, customs, non-tax revenue, enforcement and trade facilitation. The Bank of Sierra Leone regulates monetary, banking and financial-system matters. Local Councils raise revenue through property taxes and licence fees and also receive national transfers. There is no single fee for accessing the State; taxes, local charges, licences, procurement costs and information-request costs depend on the specific law, service and current notice. Budget, audit, tax and procurement work follows annual cycles and legally defined deadlines. The public sphere includes information, media and communications institutions. The Independent Media Commission registers newspapers and media institutions, licenses radio, television and direct-to-home services, maintains a media register and applies its Code of Practice. The Ministry of Information and Civic Education develops public-information, media and information-and-communications policy and supports dissemination through the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation. The National Communications Authority regulates electronic communications and telecommunications. Media registration, broadcasting licences, information requests and access to public records follow different procedures and should not be treated as one process. National security is coordinated through the National Security Council, the highest security forum, chaired by the President. The Office of National Security provides its secretariat and coordinates security and intelligence matters across national, provincial, district and chiefdom levels. The National Security and Central Intelligence Act 2023 replaced the 2002 framework. The Sierra Leone Police, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, handles law enforcement and criminal investigation. The Ministry of Defence and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces protect external defence and territorial integrity and may support civilian authorities or emergency responses. The Sierra Leone Correctional Service and National Fire Force perform correctional and fire-safety functions. Local security committees support local coordination, while the Office of National Security regulates private-security licensing. Public-safety duties must operate within constitutional safeguards. The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2025 was still in the parliamentary process in 2026. An amendment does not become an operative constitutional change merely because a Bill has been introduced; it must pass the constitutionally required process, receive assent and be published in the Gazette. The responsible institution depends on the matter: national policy and administration generally involve the President, Cabinet or an MDA; public money and procurement involve the Ministry of Finance, National Revenue Authority, Bank of Sierra Leone or NPPA; administrative complaints go to the Ombudsman; corruption complaints go to the Anti-Corruption Commission; human-rights concerns go to the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone; information requests go through the relevant Public Information Officer; local services go to a Local Council; customary matters go to the Chiefdom Council or Paramount Chief; criminal and public-safety matters go to the Sierra Leone Police; and defence matters go to the Ministry of Defence or the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.