(1) The laws of Sierra Leone
shall comprise—
- this Constitution;
- laws made by or under the authority of Parliament as established
by this Constitution;
- any orders, rules, regulations and other statutory instruments
made by any person or authority pursuant to a power conferred
in that behalf by this Constitution or any other law;
- the existing law; and
- the common law.
(2) The common law of Sierra Leone shall comprise the rules of
law generally known as the common law, the rules of law generally
known as the doctrines of equity, and the rules of customary law
including those determined by the Superior Court of Judicature.
(3) For the purposes of this section the expression "customary
law" means the rules of law which by custom are applicable
to particular communities in Sierra Leone.
(4) The existing law shall, save as otherwise provided in subsection
(1), comprise the written and unwritten laws of Sierra Leone as
they existed immediately before the date of the coming into force
of this Constitution and any statutory instrument issued or made
before that date which is to come into force on or after that date.
(5) Subject to the provisions of this section, the operation of
the existing laws after the coming into force of this Constitution
shall not be affected by such commencement; and accordingly the
existing law shall be construed with such modifications, adaptations,
qualifications and exceptions as may be necessary to bring it into
conformity with the provisions of this Constitution or otherwise
to give effect to or enable effect to be given to any changes effected
by this Constitution.
(6) Every statutory instrument shall be published in the Gazette
not later than twenty-eight days after it is made or, in the case
of a statutory instrument which will not have the force of law unless
it is approved by some person or authority other than the person
or authority by which is it made, not later than twenty-eight days
after it is approved, and if it is not so published it shall be
void from the date on which it was made.
(7) Any orders, rules or regulations made by any person or authority
pursuant to a power conferred in that behalf by this Constitution
or any other law—
- shall be laid before Parliament;
- shall be published in the Gazette on or before the day
they are so laid before Parliament;
- shall come into force at the expiration of a period of twenty-one
days of being so laid unless Parliament, before the expiration
of the said period of twenty-one days, annuls any such orders,
rules or regulations by the votes of not less than two-thirds
of the Members of Parliament.
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