Section 38: Constituencies and elections.

(1) Sierra Leone shall be divided into such constituencies for the purpose of electing the Members of Parliamentreferred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 74 of this Constitution as the Electoral Commission, acting with the approval of Parliament signified by resolution of Parliament, may prescribe. (2) Every constituency established under this section shall return one Member of Parliament. (3) The boundaries of each constituency shall be such that the number of inhabitants thereof is as nearly equal to the population quota as is reasonably practicable. Provided that the number of inhabitants of such a constituency may be greater or less than the population quota in order to take account of means of communications, geographical features, density of population, the distribution of different communities, the areas and boundaries of the Chiefdoms and other administrative or traditional areas. (4) The Electoral Commission shall review the division of Sierra Leone into constituencies at intervals of not less than five and not more than seven years, and may alter the constituencies in accordance with the provisions of this section to such extent as it may consider desirable in the light of the review: Provided that the Commission may at any time carry out such a review and alter the constituencies in accordance with the provisions of this section to such extent as it considers necessary in consequence of any alteration in the number of Members of Parliament referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 74 by reason of the holding of a census of the population of Sierra Leone in pursuance of an Act of Parliament. (5) Where the boundaries of any constituency are altered in accordance with the provisions of this section, that alteration shall come into effect upon the next dissolution of Parliament after the alteration has been approved by (6) In this section "population quota" means the number obtained by dividing the number of inhabitants of Sierra Leone by the number of constituencies into which Sierra Leone is divided under this section. (7) For the purposes of this section the number of inhabitants of Sierra Leone shall be ascertained by reference to the latest census of the population of Sierra Leone held in pursuance of an Act of Parliament or if no census has been so held, by reference to any available information, which in the opinion of the Electoral Commission best indicates the number of those inhabitants. (8) The registration of voters and the conduct of elections in every constituency shall be subject to the direction and supervision of the Electoral Commission, and it shall cause the register of voters to be revised and reviewed at least once in every three years.