By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
Honourable Abdul Sulaiman Marray-Conteh, Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the House of Parliament, during the Government Press Conference. on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, provided civic education on the parliamentary process for passing the Constitutional Amendment Bill into law.
He explained that although the bill seeks to repeal the 1991 Constitution, the legislative process itself is guided by the provisions and Standing Orders entrenched in the 1991 Constitution.
“The Constitution is a very dynamic document…it cannot be changed easily,” he stated.
On the current status of the constitutional review process, Hon. Marray-Conteh noted that the bill has moved from the pre-legislative engagement phase and is now at the introduction, or First Reading stage. He revealed that the Speaker of Parliament has instructed the Legislative Committee to receive position papers from the public, which will inform and enrich debates by Members of Parliament.
He further explained that for the bill to move from the Second Reading stage to the third reading, it must be approved by a two-thirds majority; approximately 99 of the 149 Members of Parliament. This requirement, he said, applies to both non-entrenched and entrenched provisions, with the caveat that entrenched clauses will additionally require two-thirds public approval through a referendum.
According to Hon. Marray-Conteh, for a bill to become law, it must undergo public consultations, be gazetted twice, and then be presented to Parliament. Once in Parliament, it passes through a pre-legislative session where the drafters provide a comprehensive overview of the bill, enabling MPs and the public to understand its provisions clause by clause and seek clarification.
The bill then proceeds to the introductory stage, known as the first reading. At the second reading, the drafters explain the bill in detail to MPs, who then debate its contents.
For complex bills, he said, the legislation may be committed to the Legislative Committee for further scrutiny, and the committee’s report may be adopted or rejected by Parliament.
During the Third Reading, the Committee of the Whole House debates the bill line by line, provision by provision. After this stage, a simple majority vote can pass the bill into law.
Honorable assured the public that Parliament remains committed to following due process and safeguarding democratic norms as the bill progresses through the legislative stages
