The Government of Sierra Leone - The World Countries

Sierra Leone - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Sierra Leone, it was 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. The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 4 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern, Western*

National symbols

Lion; national colors: green, white, blue.

The flag

The National flag of Sierra Leone has three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown.

The National Anthem

Title	"High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free"
Lyric/music	Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA

note: adopted 1961

More about the government of Sierra Leone

Constitution
Date of Independence	27 April 1961 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Legal system	mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Several previous; latest effective 1 October 1991
Amendment process	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
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	no
Citizenship by descent only	at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Sierra Leone
Dual citizenship recognized	yes
Residency requirement for naturalization	5 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	President Julius Maada BIO (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)
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 June 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
Legislature name	Parliament
Legislative structure	Unicameral
Number of seats	149 (135 directly elected; 14 indirectly elected)
Electoral system	Proportional representation
Scope of elections	Full renewal
Term in office	5 years
Most recent election date	6/24/2023
Parties elected and seats per party	Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) (81); All People's Congress (APC) (54)
Percentage of women in chamber	29.5%
Expected date of next election	June 2028
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court at the top, 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)
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 are subject to approval by Parliament; all Judicature judges serve until retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts	Magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sheku MESALI (since 14 January 2025)
Chancery	1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-1605
Telephone	[1] (202) 939-9261
FAX	[1] (202) 483-1793
Email address and website	[email protected] https://embassyofsierraleone.net/
Diplomatic representation from the 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	[email protected] https://sl.usembassy.gov/