Government & politics — Sierra Leone
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Sierra Leone: Republic of Sierra Leone
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Republic of Sierra Leone
- Country Name
Sierra Leone
- Local - Long
Republic of Sierra Leone
- Local - Short
Sierra Leone
- Etymology- history of name
the Portuguese explorer Pedro de SINTRA named the country "Serra Leoa" (Lion Mountains) for the impressive mountains he saw while sailing the West African coast in 1462
- Independence
27 April 1961 (from the UK)
- National Holiday
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Political system
- Government Type
presidential republic
- Constitution
- history: several previous;
- latest effective 1 October 1991 amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in two successive readings and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms and many other constitutional sections also requires approval in a referendum with participation of at least one half of qualified voters and at least two thirds of votes cast; amended several times, last in 2016
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023); note - the president is chief of state, head of government,
- and Minister of Defense head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice
- President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023) cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the c
- abinet is responsible to the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by 55% in the first round or absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last he
- ld on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2028) election results: 2023: Julius Maada BIO reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 56.2%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 41.2%, other 2.6% 2018: Julius Maada BIO elected president in second round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 51.8%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 48.2%
- Legislative Branch:
- chief of state: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023);
Note
- the president is chief of state, head of government, and Minister of Defense head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023)
- Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023) cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament
- the cabinet is responsible to the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by 55% in the first round or absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
- election last held on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2028)
Election Results
- 2023: Julius Maada BIO reelected president in first round
- percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 56.2%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 41.2%, other 2.6% 2018: Julius Maada BIO elected president in second round
- percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 51.8%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 48.2% Legislative branch
Description
unicameral Parliament (146 seats; 132 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by a district block proportional representation vote and 14 seats filled in separate elections by non-partisan members of Parliament called "paramount chiefs;" members serve 5-year terms)
Elections
last held on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2028)
Election Results
- percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - SLPP 81, APC 54;
Composition
men 94, women 41, percent of women 30.3%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges; note – the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal,
- and constitutional matters judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman) and subject to the approval of Parliament; all Judicature j
- udges appointed until retirement at age 65 subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts
- Regions or States:
Summary
4 provinces
Regions or States
- and 1 area*
- Eastern
- Northern
- North Western
- Southern
- Western*
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- All People's Congress or APC [Samura KAMARA]
- Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP) [Julius Maada BIO] numerous other parties
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent
- yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Freetown
- Capital - geographic coordinate
8 29 N, 13 14 W
- Capital Time Difference
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Bryan David HUNT (since 8 September 2023) embassy: Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown mailing address: 2160 Freetown Place, Washington DC 20521-2160
telephone
[232] 99 105 000
Email address and website
- consularfreetown@state.gov
- https://sl.usembassy.gov/
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr WAI (since 8 April 2019)
chancery
1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-1605
telephone
[1] (202) 939-9261
FAX
[1] (202) 483-1793
Email address and website
- info@embassyofsierraleone.net
- https://embassyofsierraleone.net/