BAR NEWS
No. 3 A newsletter of the Sierra Leone Bar Association February 2006

PUBLIC NOTICE

The general public is informed that pursunt to section 24 (1) of the Legal Practitioner's Act No. 15 of 2000, no unqualified person shall draw or prepare any instrument or endorse or cause to be endorsed on such instrument his name and address or both.The Act defines an “unqualified person” as a person not enrolled asa legal practitioner under section16 of the Act.The Act also defines an “instrument” as “… including the memorandum and articles of association of companies.”The Association's attention has been drawn to the fact that unqualified persons are preparing instruments particularly memorandum and articles of association and submitting the same to Registrar's office when applying for the incorporation of companies and that some qualified persons are endorsing instruments prepared by unqualified persons.Section 24(2) of the Act provides that any person who contravenes this provision commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding Le 1,000,000 (One Million Leones) or a term of imprisonment notexceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.The Association has written to the Registrar-General drawing his attention to same and will work with the General Legal Council to prosecute any one who contravenes the provisions of this Act.

Dated
19th January 2006


Centus Macaule
GeneralSecretary