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Committee:

Region/District/Village

Individual/Group/Organization

Name: Male Female Age

Feedback, Suggestion, Submissions

Chapter Section Subsection

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Chapter II – Fundamental Principles of State Policy

1. What are your constitutional responsibilities as a citizen of Sierra Leone?

2. What are the constitutional duties the Government owes to you as a citizen of Sierra Leone?

3. Are you aware that the Government of Sierra Leone has a duty to implement policies that eradicate illiteracy, create adequate working conditions, employment opportunities without favour or discrimination and medical and health care to its citizens?

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4. Should we maintain the provision that requires that the Government of Sierra Leone should have enough resources available to meet its obligations? Or is it mandatory that they should provide all our needs?

5. Is the Government of Sierra Leone accountable to its people?

6. Should there be a provision that would help citizens to enforce these rights against the Government through the formal legal system?

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7. If not, what other system of enforcement do you recommend?

8. Should the Paramount Chiefs and other traditional leaders have any role in holding the Government to account?

9. Should the President be under a constitutional duty to report to Parliament on annual basis on the steps he had taken to realise the principles of state policy as set out in the constitution?

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10. Do you think accountability to the people of Sierra Leone would improve if the Legislature and the Judiciary were also under a constitutional duty to provide annual reports to Parliament?

Chapter III – The Recognition and Protection of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms of the Individual

Preliminary Questions

1. Which customary practices are the most important to you?

2. Should customary practices change over time?

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3. If not why?

4. Could you afford to pay a lawyer to represent you on a legal human rights issue in the Supreme Court?

5. Should the Government introduce a Human Rights Act with provisions that would be enforceable in the magistrate court and the high court?

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6. Would such a step improve your confidence in the court system?

7. Should public funding to the Judiciary, Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman and other state institutions that help to promote Equality, Freedom, Democracy and Justice for the ordinary Sierra Leone be provided for in the Constitution?

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Special Areas concerning the Effective Operation of Human Rights and Freedoms of the Individual

Bill of Rights

1. Should the next Constitution have a separate and distinct chapter setting out the human rights of every person in Sierra Leone?

2. Should this include the right to shelter, health and education?

3. Do we need a provision that requires compensation for victims of human rights violations?

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4. Should the age for criminal liberty and other legal issues be reduced to 18?

Women and Discriminatory Practices

1. Should the Constitution continue to permit discrimination against women on the basis of customary practises?

2. Should woman play any role in local or national politics?

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3. If not, why?

4. Should the Constitution make it mandatory that 30% of safe seats are reserved for female candidates in parliamentary elections?

Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression

1. Should freedom of speech and of the media be guaranteed by the constitution?

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2. Should that guarantee of freedom of speech and of the media be strengthened by the repeal of the criminal and seditious libel provisions of part 5 of the Public Order Act of 1965?

3. Should the recently passed Access to Information law be made an entrenched clause in the constitution?

4. Should the new constitution have a stand-alone chapter guaranteeing media and journalistic freedom?

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Citizenship and Discrimination

1. Do we need to have a section in the Constitution that defines who is a citizen and how it could be transferred?

2. Under the Constitution a naturalized Sierra Leonean is not eligible to become a Member of Parliament, is there any justification for this?

3. Should the Constitution continue to permit discrimination against Sierra Leoneans who have acquired citizenship through registration, naturalization or by resolution in Parliament?

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Public Emergencies

1. Should we maintain the provision that mandates only the President to determine whether or not a public emergency exists?

2. If not, should a non-partisan body be set up to advice the President on this?

3. Should the Constitution provide for a permanent advisory non-partisan body to advice the President on matters of great national importance?

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Ancillary Questions

1. Are the powers vested in the Presidency and the Executive too extensive?

2. What is the alternative to this?

3. Should members of the Executive include Members from the opposition parties?

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4. Should the next Constitution make provision for a Parliamentary Standards Commission that would regulate the conduct of Members of Parliament?

5. Should we have civic education reintroduced in schools starting at the primary school level?

6. Do we need a provision that defines the roles and responsibilities of chieftaincy institution and the Decentralisation process?

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PUBLIC COMMENTS:

CRC Public Consultation Form