In tandem with Section 33 of the Parliament Act of 2023, the Office of the Law Clerk, headed by Director Abdul Rahim Sowe, presented the First Session of the Sixth Parliament’s Report on the activities of the Office of the Law Clerk to the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Segepoh Solomon Thomas.
This maiden presentation was made Wednesday, 2nd April 2025, in the presence of the Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Paran Umar Tarawally, in the office of the Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament.
Presenting the report to the Rt. Hon. Speaker, and the Clerk of Parliament, the Director of the Office of the Law Clerk, Abdul Rahim Sowe, disclosed that the activities of the Office of the Law Clerk espouses work done by the Office of the Law Clerk on all legislative processes, procedures and other activities in the First Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone between 3rd of August 2023 to the 6th day of August 2024.
Director Abdul Rahim Sowe also assured the House Speaker that the report covers the activities Office of the Law Clerk in relation to its support to the Legislative Committee and by extension, the Committee of the Whole House in carrying out the law-making function of scrutinizing bills, constitutional instruments, statutory instruments, treaties and conventions ratified by the Parliament of Sierra Leone for and on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone.
Director Sowe continued that the Sessional Report also covers other institutional and administrative activities embarked on by the Office of the Law Clerk as required by the Parliamentary Act of 2023, or as assigned by the leadership of parliament, the clerk of parliament, and /or the Director General of Parliament.
In furtherance of his presentation, Director Sowe assured Speaker Thomas and the Clerk of Parliament that the report of the First Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone by the Office of the Law Clerk is a synopsis of every work, training, seminar, engagement or collaboration undertaken by the office during the period under review.
He added that the report also earmarks gaps, unveils challenges, and proffers appropriate recommendations to address the fallbacks espoused herein, and it aims at improving the efficiency and efficacy of the services provided by the Office of the Law Clerk in promoting the goal of Parliament as an arm of government.
The Office of the Law Clerk, as one of the specialized offices in the Parliamentary Service, he said, came into being as an aspiration to fulfil goal two (2) of the Parliament of Sierra Leone Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025.
In 2023, Director Sowe recalled when the then Parliamentary Service Commission approved the review of the Parliamentary Service Act, 2007, Section 30 of the new Parliament Act, 2023, established the Office of the Law Clerk as one of the specialized offices within the Parliamentary Service.
According to Director Sowe, the terms of reference of the Office of the Law Clerk are mirrored in its functions as stated in the provisions of section 31 as follows:
To Provide legal advice to the Leadership and Administration of Parliament, provide support to the Legislative Committee to scrutinize Bills, Constitutional Instruments, and Statutory Instruments, provide support to the Legislative Committee to scrutinize Agreements, Treaties, Protocols, and Conventions, to carry out legislative research work, and to cooperate with the Law Officers’ Department as well as other Parliamentary Legal Officers in other Jurisdictions.
In his appreciation remarks, the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas lauded the outstanding work done by Director Sowe and the team of the Office of the Law Clerk.
He assured Director Sowe and the Office of the Law Clerk of Parliamentary Leadership’s indelible support in ensuring that the Office of the Law Clerk functions effectively.
Credit: Public Relations Department, House of Parliamentary, Sierra Leone
