Sierra Leone’s Constitutional Framework for Resource Governance and Economic Inequality: A Socio-Legal Study
Keywords:
Natural resource governance, Constitutional non-justiciability, Mining law reform, Institutional capacityAbstract
This article examines why Sierra Leone continues to experience persistent economic inequality associated with mineral extraction despite relatively robust constitutional and statutory frameworks for natural resource governance. The 1991 Constitution affirms commitments to equitable development, environmental protection, and social justice; however, the non-justiciability of the Fundamental Principles of State Policy weakens their enforceability and creates a structural gap between constitutional aspirations and binding legal obligations. Employing a normative juridical approach enriched by a socio-legal perspective, this article analyzes the Constitution, the Mines and Minerals Development Act 2022, and relevant secondary sources. The findings indicate that the 2022 Act introduces significant reforms, including binding Community Development Agreements, enhanced transparency mechanisms, strengthened environmental safeguards, and revised revenue-sharing arrangements. Nevertheless, these reforms have not translated into improved distributive outcomes due to weak institutional capacity, limited enforcement, entrenched political patronage, and unequal community participation. The article argues that persistent socio-legal inequalities arise from the interaction between constitutional design, institutional fragility, and local power asymmetries, rather than from legislative deficiency alone. Addressing these challenges requires stronger enforcement mechanisms, enhanced accountability, community empowerment, and targeted constitutional reform to ensure that resource governance contributes to equitable and sustainable development.
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