By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay Esq, has outlined new electoral and justice sector reforms that are set to benefit Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora when passed into law. The AG was speaking during the Civic Day Series held in the United States on Tuesday, September 30th, 2025.
AG Sesay explained that the new changes will mean citizens could register and possibly vote at Sierra Leonean embassies around the world.
“A lot of you have to travel back home to register, return again for verification and later voting. Under the new reforms we are now doing, you can now register here in our embassy, and even vote for those you want to represent you back home,” the Attorney General said.
Despite the announcement and the excitement in the room, the AG urged everyone to get the support of their lawmakers to pass the law when it gets to them in Parliament. “These changes will be laid in Parliament, so you have to get your MPs to support,” Minister Sesay said.
Attorney General Sesay said there are more reforms in the Criminal Procedures Act which will also help people living in the diaspora. In the new CPA, there are new timelines now under which judges should decide on cases. He said this will help Sierra Leoneans that have litigation issues back home.
The new CPA has provision for the use of technology where lawyers could be allowed to submit a motion online alongside witness testimony. The AG said “These reforms deepen the President’s commitment to ensure expansion of democratic participation to our brothers and sisters in the diaspora.”
One of the most transformative reforms is the “Mediation Bill”. The AG said he is close to presenting this law to parliament, which will now see some of the matters in court settled by trained, appointed mediators. He said there is appetite for this because of the data they have gathered, which shows that 70% of people prefer to settle legal issues out of the court system.
“Justice is a service that the Government provides for the people of Sierra Leone,” he said.
