By: Miracle Seer
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง-๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐. The Deputy Minister of Justice, Ms, Saptieu Elizabeth Saccoh today led engagements in parliament for the enactment of the ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐.
Following thorough review and amendments, the Bill was unanimously approved by both ruling and opposition member of Parliament. It now awaits the Presidentโs assent to become law.
Once signed ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ by His Excellency the President, ๐๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ญ, ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ.
In order to use the new law to strengthen, and not undermine fundamental rights, the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice together with both ruling and opposition members of Parliament unanimously agreed to include exclusions provided in the Africa Union Model Anti-Terrorism law into the definition of terrorist acts and terrorism offenses.
Specifically, the following shall not be considered to be part of the definition of terrorism or terrorism related matters: Activities related to legitimate exercise of fundamental rights, including:
– ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ
– ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ
– ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ
– ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง’๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ.
These exceptions are significant because they reflect the African Union’s attempt to balance security concerns with protection of civil liberties and recognition of legitimate political struggles that have been historically important across the African continent.
The model law aims to provide African states with guidance in crafting counterterrorism legislation that doesn’t unduly restrict fundamental rights or criminalize legitimate political activities while still enabling effective action against genuine terrorist threats.
Now, the bill awaits Presidential assent, marking a crucial milestone in the countryโs ongoing efforts to bolster its security and safeguard its people.
When the ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐a๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐จ๐ก, moved the motion for final approval of the Bill, it received unanimous support from Parliament, reflecting the broad consensus across the political spectrum on the importance of enhancing the countryโs counterterrorism efforts.
In her remarks following the passage of the Bill, the ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฒ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, highlighting the importance of the law in fortifying Sierra Leoneโs position in the fight against terrorism.
She emphasized that ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐โ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ช๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ง๐ค๐ง๐๐จ๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐จ.