Sierra Leone Parliament Approves New Arbitration Legislation

Further to its accession to the New York Convention in 2020 (discussed in our blog post here), Sierra Leone's House of Parliament has approved a new arbitration law. The Arbitration Act 2022 bill was introduced to the House by the Deputy Minister of Justice, Hon. Umaru Napoleon Koroma on 2 August 2022. The legislation now awaits signature by the President of Sierra Leone.

The Arbitration Act 2022 will replace and update the existing Sierra Leonean arbitration law, contained predominantly in Chapter 25 of the Laws of Sierra Leone 1960 (the 1960 Act). The 1960 Act was based on the English Arbitration Act 1950, but does not reflect any amendments made since, including those reflected in the English Arbitration Act 1996.