Sierra Leone’s criminal justice system will undergo significant changes when the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), 2024 takes effect on September 16, 2025, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Alpha Sesay Esq. announced on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. The new statute repeals the Criminal Procedure Act, 1965 (Act No. 32 of 1965) and introduces reforms to shorten case timelines, protect witnesses, reduce arbitrary detention, and modernise court processes.
According to the Attorney General, the 2024 Act will make the justice system “more efficient, transparent, and accountable—one that does not criminalise poverty and status.” He described the law as a “work in progress,” emphasising the continuous nature of reform. The impact on legal practitioners, civil society, and citizens will be immediate, affecting bail, pre-trial detention, evidence management, and victims’ rights.
The removal of the two-stage Preliminary Investigations (PI) system, which was previously criticised for duplicating work and stalling prosecutions, is a significant change. Under the 1965 Act, preliminary inquiries frequently required witnesses and evidence to be presented multiple times, resulting in lengthy delays and clogged court dockets. The 2024 Act replaces the cumbersome model with streamlined committal proceedings, giving Magistrates 28 days to decide whether to commit an accused to trial. The law imposes time limits for investigation, prosecution, and adjudication to reduce pre-trial detention and prevent attrition.
The new CPA introduces clearer, rights-centred bail provisions to prevent arbitrary detention. Observers have noted that the old Section 79(3) of the 1965 Act gave courts broad discretion to refuse bail, which was sometimes exercised in ways that resulted in unnecessary remand of accused persons, even for minor offences. The 2024 Act aims to reduce remands and alleviate overcrowding in correctional facilities by tightening bail eligibility guidelines and prioritising non-custodial measures where applicable. The reform is consistent with international human rights standards, including Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention.
For the first time, victims are granted statutory recognition and procedural rights. Victims will have access to information, opportunities to participate in proceedings, and safeguards against intimidation and secondary trauma — provisions that are especially important in sexual offence cases and other situations where victim vulnerability can be a barrier to justice. The Act also includes safeguards intended to protect witnesses from retaliation and to ensure that evidence is collected and handled with care.
The 2024 CPA ensures indigent accused persons have access to state-funded legal representation, implementing constitutional protections and reinforcing obligations under the Legal Aid Act of 2012. This provision seeks to level the playing field in criminal trials and ensure that the right to a fair trial is not only theoretical for those who lack means.
Recognising the realities of the digital age, the Act authorises the use of electronic evidence, remote hearings, and digital case management systems. These reforms are expected to boost efficiency, increase access to justice in outlying areas, and improve court transparency. Remote hearings and improved case tracking can also help to move cases through the system more quickly and save money for both litigants and the state.
The 1965 Act retained the requirement that certain serious crimes, such as murder and treason, be tried by judge and jury (Section 143). The new CPA abolishes this antiquated requirement, which aligns with Sierra Leone’s 2022 repudiation of capital punishment and with contemporary approaches to adjudicating serious criminal cases. This move harmonises the criminal procedure framework with prevailing constitutional standards and international practice.
