ILRAJ Condemns Police Blockade of Bar Association AGM, Calls for Adherence to Rule of Law

The Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ) has expressed deep concern after Sierra Leone Police officers blocked members of the Sierra Leone Bar Association from holding their Annual General Meeting (AGM) and executive elections on July 31, 2026, at the Freetown International Conference Centre in Aberdeen.

Lawyers who traveled from across the country were turned away at the venue by officers citing “orders from above,” leading to the indefinite postponement of the gathering. According to ILRAJ, no official court order restraining the meeting has been produced.

The incident follows a period of escalating legal and political friction surrounding the Bar Association’s governance. On July 23, 2026, High Court Justice Mark Ngegba ordered the association’s executive to produce audited financial records and publish a verified voter list under the Companies Act, 2009.