By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
Five Acts have been passed and assented to in 2023 in addition to the Appropriation Act, of 2023. The Appropriation Act, 2023 should make it six acts in total, however, it’s important to note that it was passed by Parliament on 6th December 2022 and assented to by the President on 22nd December 2022. The Appropriation Act forms part of the Annual Budget and was tabled by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Seedy Keita.
Out of the five acts passed and assented in 2023, two were tabled by the Hon Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dawda A. Jallow and passed by the National Assembly on 27th and 28th March 2023. These are the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2023 and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, 2023. Both Acts were assented to by President Adama Barrow on 23rd April 2023.
Only Act, namely the Local Government (Amendment) Act, 2023 was tabled by a Parliamentarian, Hon Alhagie S. Darbo of Brikama North and passed by Parliament on 27th March 2023. The President eventually assented to the Local Government (Amendment) Act, 2023 on 23rd April 2023. The State-Owned Enterprises Act, 2023 was the fourth act passed by Parliament in 2023. The State-Owned Enterprises Act 2023, was tabled by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Seedy Keita, passed by Parliament on 30th March 2023, and assented by the President on 25th April 2023.
All the abovementioned acts were passed during the First Ordinary Session of the 2023 Legislative Year. The only act passed during the Second Ordinary session of the 2023 Legislative Year is the Labour Act, 2023 which was tabled by the Hon Minister for Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment and passed by Parliament on 12th June 2023. The President swiftly assented to this act on 23rd June 2023.
In total, these are the six Acts which have been passed and assented in the first half of the 2023 Legislative Year if the Appropriation Act, 2023 is included. It can be recalled that for the 2022 Legislative Year only six Acts were passed by Parliament and assented by the President.
