The Law Reform Commission Act, 1975

PUBLIC NOTICE Supplemen t to the Sierra Leone Gaz ette Vol. C XIII, No. S8 dated 2nd Sept em ber,1982 PUBLIC NoTICE No. 13 OF 1982 Published 2nd September, 1982 THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION ACT, 1975 (Act No. 12 1975) THE LAW RErORM COMMISSION RULES, 1982 In exercise of the powers conferred upon it by section 7 of the Law Reform Commission Act 1975, the Law Reform Commis sion with the approval of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice hereby makes the following Rules: Short title. PART IPRELIMINARY

These Rules shall be deemed to haye comeinto operation Commenceon the 1st day of July, 1980. ment.

"Act" means the Law Reform Commission Act, 1975; tion. "Chairman" means the person appointed from time to time in accordance with paragraph (a) of Sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Act; "Commissioner" means a member of the Law Reform Commission for the time being appointed under para graph (b)of Sub-section (2) of Section (1) of theAct; "Committee" means a Committee appointed under the provisions of paragraph (g) of Section 3 of the Act; Meeting" means a meeting of the Commissioners only: "Office" means the principal office for the time being of the Commission; Public" means any person other than the Commissioners or members of the Secretariat; "Secretary" means the person appointed for the time being under Sub-section (2) of Section 4 of the Act: "Sitting'" means a meeting of the Commission to which the public is invited, or a meeting of a committee or sub committee of the Commission: 2 "Sub-committee? means a sub-committee appointed underthe provisions of paragraph e)of Section 3 of the Act; «Vacation'" shall have the same meaning assigned to it by the High Court Rules. PART IIMEETINGS

The Commission shall mect as and when the Secretary,the Commis- after consultation with the Chairman, shall notify members in Meetings of sion. writing. Noticesof 4. (1) At least seven days' notice in writing of any meeting Mcetings. shall be given to each memberof the Commission. by hand. (2) Any notice under this rule may be posted or delivered Emergency 5. The Secretary shall convene an emergency meeting, of Mectings. which not less than forty-eight hours notice shall have been given atthe request of the Chairman or any four members of the Com mission. Annual Ge 6. The Annual General Meeting of the Commission shall be neral Mect- held once in every calendar year at such time and place as may be ing. determined by the Secretary, after consultation with the Chairman. Notice of 7. At least fourteen days' notice in writing shall be given to Annual Ge- each member of the Commission to attend the Annual General neral Meet- Meeting and such notice shall specify the date, hour and place of the meeting and shall contain a statement of the business to be Ing. transacted at the meeting.

(1)Four of the members of the Commission present shal form a quorum for all meetings and no business shall be transacted at any meeting unless there is a quorum at the commencement of that meeting. (2) If within half an hour of the time appointed for the holding of a meeting a quorum is not formed the meeting shall stand adjourned to such other day, time and place as the Sec retary after consultation with the chairman, may by notice in writing to the Commissioners appoint Chairman 9. The Chairman shall take the chair at every meeting ofDresiding. the commission. If the chairman is not present within fifteen mi nutes of the time appointed for holding a meeting, the raembers present shall choose a temporary Chairman from among them sclves to act for that meeting. Adjourn 10. The Chairman may, with the consent of any meuting atneat. which a quorum has been constituted, adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place. ll. ()Any resolution or decision at any mecting of the Com- Voting. mission shall be passed or taken by a simple majority of votesof the members prescnt. (2) Votings at mectings shall be by a show of hands, the Chairman having a casting vote in the case of a tie in the vo ting. (3) Any Commissioner who is present at a meeting when a resolution is passed or a decision is taken shall be entitled to abstain or dissent therefrom, and upon his request, shall have his abstention or dissension and his reasons therefore set out in the minutes of that meeting.

Minutes shall be made, in books provided for the pur- Minutes.pose, of all resolutions and proceedings at meetings, and any minutes, if signed by the Chairman or any person who has acted as Chairman of the meeting to which it reíates, shall be receivable as evidence of the facts therein stated without further proof.

Commission shall be kept at the office of the Secretariat and shall taining records of be open to inspection by the Commissioners during office hours,metings. subject to any reasonable restrictions that the Commission may from time to time impose but so that not less than two hours in each day is allowed for inspection.

Every Commissioner shall be furnished with a copy of Commissithe minutes of any meeting not more than seven days after the ODer entitled holding of the meeting. to copy of Minutes.

Commission shall mutatis mutandis be governed by the same rules ing meetings regulating the meetings of the Commission. of committees and sub-com mittees.

(1) Sittings of the Commission shall be on such day and Sittings ofat such time and place as the Commission shall from time to time the Commis determine sion. (2) At least fourteen days' notice shall be given of public sittings by publication in the local newspapers, the Sierra Leone Gazette, or other national news media. (3) The procedure at any sitting shall,as far as applicable, be the same as for a meeting of the Commission. PART II-PROPOSALS FOR LAV REFORMS

Any proposal for reform of the law from members ofreform, from the publicshall be in writing, or made orally to the Secretary whoProposals for shall take down in writing, and may contain reasons for the thePublic. recommended reform. Written Pro 18. A copy of any proposal received by the Secretary shall posaltobe circularised. he sent to cach CommissioDer within seven days of the date of re ceipt.

(a) every Bill pursuant to any programme of the Com mission shall be drawn up by a standing Committee of two Commissioners thereunto appointed,and pre sented to the Commission for approval; and (b) copies of every Bill so approved by the Commission shall be delivered to the Attorney-General and Mi nister of Justice. cord Book. R gister, Re 20. (1) The Secretary shall keep a register of attendance of the Commissioners at meetings and sittings respectively, and a record book containing the full names, occupation, addresses and telephone numbers of all Commissioners. (2) The Secretary shall from time to time, make any necessary changes in the record book in order to maintain up-to date information on each member of the Commission. MADE this 3rd day of May, 1982. Hon Mr. Justice S. J. Forster, o.R.S.L., C.B.E.Chairman Hon. Mr. Justice C. 0.E. Cole, o.R.S.L., CM.G O-B.E-Member Hon. Mr. Justice S. Beccles Davies -Member Prof. H. M. Joko-Smart -Member Albert L. 0. Metzger, Esq -Member Max A. Bailor, Esq.. o.R. -Member Mrs. A. G. M. Ben-Davies, O.R. -Member In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by Section 7 of the Law Reform Commission Act, 1975 (Act No. 12 of 1975) Ihereby give my approval for the making of these Rules. F. M. MINAH, Atorney-Generaland Münister Justice. 28th May. 1982 PRINTED BY THE GoVERNMENT PRINTING DEPARTMENT, SIERRA LEONE GAZETTE No, 58 JF 2ND SEPTEMBER,1982