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CHAPTER X — THE PUBLIC SERVICE
PART I — THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
| Establishment
of Public Service Commission. |
151. (1) There shall be a
Public Service Commission which shall consist of a Chairman, not less
than two and not more than four other members.
(2) The members of the Public Service Commission shall be appointed
by the President, subject to the approval of Parliament.
(3) A person shall not be qualified to hold the office of a member
of the Public Service Commission if he is a Member of Parliament,
a Minister or a Deputy Minister, or if he holds or is acting in
any public office.
(4) A person who has held office or who has acted as a member of
the Public Service Commission shall not within a period of three
years commencing with the date on which he last so held office or
acted be eligible for appointment to any office, power to make appointments
to which is vested by this Constitution in the Public Service Commission.
(5) The office of a member of the Public Service Commission, unless
he sooner resigns or dies, shall become vacant—
- at the expiration of a period of five years from the date of
his appointment or such shorter period not being less than three
years as may be specified at the time of his appointment;
- if any circumstances arise that if he were not a member of the
Commission would cause him to be disqualified for appointment
as such;
Provided that a member of the Public Service Commission shall retire
at that age of sixty-five years.
(6) A member of the Public Service Commission may be removed by
the President for inability to discharge the functions of his office
(whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or from any other
cause) or for misconduct.
(7) Whenever the office of a member of the Public Service Commission
is vacant or a member is for any reason unable to perform the functions
of his office, the President may appoint a person who is qualified
for appointment as a member of the Commission, and any person so
appointed shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of subsection
(5), continue to act until his appointment is revoked by the President.
(8) A member of the Public Service Commission shall, before assuming
the functions of his office, take and subscribe before the President
the oath as set out in Third Schedule to this Constitution.
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| Appointments
etc. of public officers. |
152. (1)Subject to the provisions
of this Constitution, the power to appoint persons to hold or act
in offices in the public service (including power to make appointments
on promotion and to confirm appointments) and to dismiss and to exercise
disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices
shall vest in the Public Service Commission.
(2) The President may, subject to such conditions as he may think
fit, delegate any of his functions relating to the making of appointments,
including power to make appointments on promotion and to confirm
appointments, bi directions in writing to the Public Service Commission
or to a committee thereof or to any member of the Commission or
to any public officer.
(3) Before the Public Service Commission appoints to any public
office any person holding or acting in any office, the power to
make appointments to which is not vested in the Public Service Commission,
it shall consult the person or authority in whom that power is vested.
(4) The Public Service Commission shall, upon request made to it
by any person or authority having power to make an appointment to
an office under this Constitution or in any other public institution,
make recommendations to that person or authority for the appointment
of any public officer or any other person to an office, the power
to make appointment to which is vested by the Constitution or any
other law in that person, authority or public institution.
(5) the power to transfer persons holding or acting in offices
in the public service from one department of Government to another
shall, where such transfer does not involve promotion, vest in the
Public Service Commission.
(6) The provisions of this section shall not apply in relation
to any of the following offices—
- the office of any Justice of the Supreme Court or of the Court
of Appeal or a Judge of the High Court;
- the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;
- the office of Auditor-General;
- any office to which section 141 (which relates to offices within
the jurisdiction of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission)
applies;
- any office to which section 153 (which relates to the offices
of Ambassadors and certain offices) applies;
- any office to which section 154 (which relates to the offices
of the Permanent Secretaries and certain other offices) applies;
and
- any office the remuneration of which is calculated on a daily
rate;
Provided that the power of transfer vested in the Public Service
Commission under subsection (5) may be exercised in the case of
persons holding any of the offices specified in this subsection
where such persons express their consent in writing to such transfer.
(7) No appointment shall be made under this section to any office
on the personal staff of the President or the Vice-President, unless
he signifies his personal approval of the appointment.
(8) The Public Service Commission shall not dismiss or indict any
other punishment on a public officer on grounds of any act done
or omitted to be done by that officer in the exercise of a judicial
function conferred upon him, unless the Judicial and Legal Service
Commission concurs therein.
(9) No member of the Public Service shall be—
- victimised or discriminated against directly or indirectly for
having discharged his duties faithfully in accordance with this
Constitution, or
- dismissed or removed from office or reduced in rank or otherwise
punished without just cause.
(10) The Public Service Commission may, with the prior approval
of the President, make regulations by constitutional instrument
for the effective and efficient performance of its functions under
this Constitution or any other law, and may, with such prior approval
and subject to such conditions as it may think fit, delegate any
of its powers under this section by directions in writing to any
of its membership or to any public officer.
(11) Save as is otherwise provided in this Constitution, the Public
Service Commission shall not be subject to the control or direction
or any other person or authority in the performance of its functions
under this Constitution or any other law.
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Appointment
of the principal represen-
tatives of Sierra Leone abroad. |
153. (1) The power to appoint
persons to hold or act in the office to which this section applies
(including the power to transfer from one office to another and to
confirm appointments) and to remove persons so appointed from any
such office shall vest in the President.
The offices to which this section applies are the offices of Ambassadors,
high Commissioners or other principal representatives of Sierra
Leone abroad, the Commanders of the Armed Forces, and the Inspector-General
of Police;
Provided that the appointment to these offices shall be subject
to the approval of Parliament.
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| Appointment
of Permanent Secretaries and certain other officers. |
154. (1) The power to appoint
persons to hold or act in any of the offices to which this section
applies (including the power to make appointments on promotion and
transfer from one office to another and to confirm appointments) and
to remove persons so appointed from any such office shall vest in
the President acting in consultation with the Public Service Commission.
(2) The offices to which this section applies are the offices of
Secretary to the Cabinet, Secretary to the Vice-President, Financial
Secretary, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Establishment Secretary, Development Secretary, Provincial Secretary
and Permanent Secretary.
(3) Where any person holding an office mentioned in subsection
(2) accepts another such office carrying higher remuneration, he
shall, unless a contrary intention appears from the terms of his
appointment, be deemed to have relinquished the office he was originally
holding; where the second office does not carry higher remuneration,
the question whether or not he shall be deemed to have relinquished
the original office shall depend on the terms of his second appointment.
(4) Subject to the provisions of section 152 of this Constitution,
where any person has been removed under subsection (1) from any
office specified in subsection (2) he may notwithstanding such removal—
- remain in the Public Service;
- continue to receive a salary not less than the salary he received
before such removal; and
- continue to be eligible for any benefit granted to him in respect
of his service as a public officer, including benefits payable
under any law providing for the grant of pensions, gratuities
or both;
unless by such removal he ceases to be a member of the Public Service.
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PART II — THE POLICE FORCE
| Functions of
Police Council. |
(1) The Police Council shall
advise the President on all major matters of policy relating to internal
security, including the role of the Police Force, Police budgeting
and finance, administration and any other matter as the President
shall require.
(2) The Police Council may, with the prior approval of the President,
make regulations for the performance of its functions under this
Constitution or any other law, and for the effective and efficient
administration of the Police Force.
(3) Regulations made pursuant to the provisions of subsection (2)
shall include regulations in respect of
- the control and administration of the Police Force of Sierra
Leone;
- the ranks of officers and men of each unit of the Police Force,
the members in each such rank and the use of uniforms by such
members;
- the conditions of service, including those relating to enrolment
and to pay, pensions, gratuities and other allowances of officers
and men of each unit and deductions therefrom;
- the authority and powers of command of officers and men of the
Police Force; and
- the delegation to other persons of powers of commanding officers
to discipline accused persons, and the conditions subject to which
such delegation may be made.
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PART III -- RESIGNATIONS, RE-APPOINTMENTS AND PROTECTION
OF PENSION
RIGHTS OF PUBLIC OFFICERS HOLDING ESTABLISHED OFFICES
| Resignations
and effect of new appointment of a person holding an established office. |
159 (1) Any person who is appointed
or elect to, or otherwise selected for, any office established by
this Constitution, including the office of Vice-President, Member
of the Cabinet, Minister or Deputy Minister, may resign from that
office by writing under his hand addressed tot he person or authority
by whom he was appointed, elected or selected;
Provided that in the case of the Speaker of the Deputy Speaker
his resignation from office shall be addressed to Parliament and
in the case of a Member of Parliament his resignation from Parliament
shall be addressed to the Speaker.
(2) The resignation of any person from any such office as referred
to in subsection (1) shall take effect, where no date is specified,
when the writing signifying the resignation is received by the person
or authority to whom it is addressed or by any person authorised
by that person or authority to receive it.
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Re-appoint-
ment, etc. |
160. (1) Subject to the provisions
of this Constitution, where any person has vacated any office established
by this Constitution he may, if qualified, again be appointed, elected,
or otherwise selected to hold that office.
(2) Where by this Constitution a power is conferred upon any person
or authority to make any appointment to any public office, a person
may be appointed to that office notwithstanding that some other
person may be holding that office, when that other person is on
leave of absence pending relinquishment of the office; and where
two or more persons are holding the same office by reason of an
appointment made in pursuance of this subsection then for the purposes
of any function conferred upon the holder of that office the person
last appointed shall be deemed to be the sole holder of the office.
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| Protection of
pension rights. |
161. (1) The law applicable
to any benefits to which this section applies shall, in relation to
any person who has been granted, or who is eligible for the grant
of such benefits, be that in force on the relevant date or any later
law that is not less favourable to that person.
(2) In this section "the relevant date" means—
- in relation to any benefits granted before the twenty-seventh
day of April, 1961, the date of which those benefits were granted;
- in relation to any benefits granted on or after the twenty-seventh
day of April, 1961, to or in respect of any person who was a public
officer before that date, the twenty-sixth day of April, 1961;
and
- in relation to any benefits granted or to be granted to or in
respect of any person who becomes a public officer on or after
the twenty-seventh day of April, 1961, the date on which he becomes
a public officer.
(3) Where a person is entitled to exercise an option as to which
of two or more laws shall apply in his case, the law specified by
him in exercising the option shall, for the purposes of this section,
be deemed to be more favourable to him than the other law or laws.
(4) Any benefit to which this section applies (not being a benefit
that is a charge upon some other public fund of Sierra Leone) shall
be a charge upon the Consolidated Fund or upon such other Special
Fund, whether contributory or non-contributory, as Parliament may
prescribe.
(5) This section applies to any benefits payable under any law
providing for the grant of pensions, gratuities or compensation
to persons who are or have been public officers in respect of their
service in the public service or to the widows, children, dependants
or personal representatives of such persons in respect of such service.
(6) References to the law applicable to any benefits to which this
section applies includes (without prejudice to their generality)
references to any law relating to the time at which and the manner
in which any person may retire in order to become eligible for those
benefits.
(7) Notwithstanding any law or custom to the contrary, it shall
be lawful for Parliament to enact that a personal shall not be entitled
to a benefit under this section, unless he has contributed to a
specified Fund created for the purpose.
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PART IV — POWER AND PROCEDURE OF COMMISSIONS
AND COUNCILS, AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
| Power of Commissions
in relation to the grant of pensions. |
162. (1) Where any benefits
to which this section applies can be withheld, reduced in amount or
suspended by any law, those benefits shall not be so withheld, reduced
in amount or suspended—
- in the case of benefits which have been granted in respect of
service in the public service to any person who at the time when
he ceased to be a public officer was subject to the jurisdiction
of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission or for which any
person may be eligible in respect of such service, without the
approval of that Commission; or
- in any other case, without the approval of the Public Service
Commission or the appropriate Council, as the case may be.
(2) No benefits to which this section applies that have been granted
to or in respect of any person who is or has been a Judge of the
High Court, a Justice of Appeal or of the Supreme Court or for which
any such person or his widow, children, dependants or personal representatives
may be eligible, shall be withheld, reduced in amount or suspended
on the ground that that person has been guilty of misconduct or
misbehaviour unless that person has been removed from judicial office
by reason of such misconduct or misbehaviour.
(3) This section applies to any benefits payable under any law
providing for the grant of pensions, gratuities or compensation
to persons who are or have been public officers in respect of their
service in the public service or to the widows, children, dependants
or personal representatives of such persons in respect of such service
whether on a contributory or non-contributory basis.
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| Power and procedure
of Commissions. |
163. (1) Any Commission or
Council established by this Constitution may, with the consent of
the President and subject to the provisions of subsection (2), by
regulation or otherwise regulate its own procedure and, confer or
delegate powers or impose duties on any authority of the Government
for the purpose of discharge of its functions.
(2) At any meeting of any Commission or Council established by
this Constitution a quorum shall be constituted if three members
are present; and if a quorum is present the Commission or Council
shall not be disqualified for the transaction of business by reason
of any vacancy among its members and any proceedings of the Commission
or Council shall be valid notwithstanding that some person who was
not entitled to do so took part therein.
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| Protection of
Commissions from legal proceedings. |
164. The question whether—
- any Commission or Council established by this Constitution has
validly performed any function vested in it by or under this Constitution;
- any member of such a Commission or Council or any other person
has validly performed any functions delegated to such member or
person in pursuance of the provisions of subsection (1) of section
163 or, as the case may be, subsection (10) of section 152; or
- any member of such a Commission or Council or any other person
or authority has validly performed any other function in relation
to the work of the Commission or Council or in relation to any
such functions as is referred to in paragraph (b),
shall not be inquired into in any Court.
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