National Documentation Packages (NDPs) are lists of public documents that provide information about conditions in specific countries. Updates occur periodically based on publicly available information. Countries with high volumes of claims may be updated more frequently. In periods of rapid change and/or uncertainty, updates may be delayed to build a body of relevant information.
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Jurisprudential Guides Notes
Jurisprudential Guides Notes
On
July 28, 2022, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide:
-
Decision TC1 05038 – The proper interpretation of the ‘generalized risk’ exception to protection found at subparagraph 97(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, in claims for protection involving allegations of gang-targeting or other acts of criminality.
On
December 22, 2020, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision MB8-00025 – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses, in applying Article 1E of the Refugee Convention, whether members should consider allegations of risk in a country of residence if they conclude that a refugee claimant has the rights and obligations which are attached to the possession of nationality in that country.
On
July 6, 2018, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being a
Jurisprudential Guide.
-
Decision TB7-19851 – Nigeria – This Jurisprudential Guide addresses internal flight alternatives in major cities in south and central Nigeria for claimants fleeing non-state actors.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 10, 2018.
On
July 20, 2017, the Chairperson identified the following Refugee Appeal Division decision as being
Jurisprudential Guides.
-
Decision TB7-01837 – Pakistan – Whether the treatment experienced by Ahmadis in Pakistan amounts to persecution, whether state protection is available and whether there is a viable internal flight alternative.
-
Decision MB6-01059/60 – India – Availability of an internal flight alternative in India for claimants from Punjab.
Revoked
-
Decision TB6-11632 – China – Analysis of the efficacy of the Chinese national computer network known as the Golden Shield Project and its impact on whether a person wanted by the authorities can exit China via an airport using a genuine passport.
Revoked
The country documentation referenced in each of these decisions has been included in s.16 of the updated National Documentation Packages published on July 20, 2017.
Back
31 January 2020
SIERRA LEONE
List of Documents
1.
General Information and Maps
Source:
United Nations. Cartographic Section.
Date of Document:
September 2014
Accessed Date:
27 December 2017
Title:
Sierra Leone. L'Encyclopédie en ligne.
Accessed Date:
4 January 2017
Title:
Sierra Leone. Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Africa, 2019.
Source:
United States. Social Security Administration.
Date of Document:
September 2019
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. The World Factbook.
Source:
United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Date of Document:
22 January 2020
Accessed Date:
24 January 2020
Title:
Sierra Leone. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
13 March 2019
Accessed Date:
19 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. Amnesty International Report 2017/2018: The State of the World's Human Rights.
Source:
Amnesty International
Date of Document:
22 February 2018
Accessed Date:
22 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. Freedom in the World 2019.
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
Summary prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21: Sierra Leone
Code:
A/HRC/WG.6/24/SLE/3
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Council.
Date of Document:
6 November 2015
Accessed Date:
3 January 2018
Title:
National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21: Sierra Leone
Code:
A/HRC/WG.6/24/SLE/1
Date of Document:
17 November 2015
Accessed Date:
17 November 2015
Title:
Compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21: Sierra Leone
Code:
A/HRC/WG.6/24/SLE/2
Source:
United Nations. Human Rights Council.
Date of Document:
23 November 2015
Accessed Date:
3 January 2018
3.
Identification Documents and Citizenship
Title:
Sierra Leone Citizenship Act, 1973
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
The Sierra Leone Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2006
Accessed Date:
3 April 2013
Keywords:
citizenship; legislation
Title:
Sierra Leone: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2017
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
Birth certificates and national identity cards, including requirements and procedures, appearance and security features; document issued to replace a missing birth certificate; circumstances in which a Certified True Copy BC/99 is issued...
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
19 October 2015
Accessed Date:
26 January 2016
Keywords:
document fraud; identity documents
Title:
Sierra Leone. U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
4.
Political Activities and Organizations
Title:
Sierra Leone Parliament
Source:
Inter-Parliamentary Union. Parline
Date of Document:
17 August 2018
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
I. Political Transformation. Transformation Index 2018 Country Report: Sierra Leone.
Source:
Bertelsmann Stiftung
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Republic of Sierra Leone. Election for President of 31 March 2018.
Source:
International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Election Guide.
Accessed Date:
21 January 2020
Title:
Republic of Sierra Leone. Election for Sierra Leonean Parliament of 7 March 2018.
Source:
International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Election Guide.
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Information on the Poro Society, including rituals and initation; ability to refuse initiation or leadership roles; availability of state protection (2015-July 2017)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
18 September 2017
Accessed Date:
29 January 2018
Title:
Sierra Leone 2018 Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council Elections 2018: Final Report
Source:
European Union Election Observation Mission
Date of Document:
June 2018
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
5.
Gender, Domestic Violence and Children
Title:
Shamed and Blamed: Pregnant Girls' Rights at Risk in Sierra Leone
Source:
Amnesty International
Date of Document:
6 November 2015
Accessed Date:
12 January 2016
Keywords:
children; family law; gender-based violence; legislation; social services
Title:
The Sexual Offence Act, 2012
Accessed Date:
23 December 2014
Keywords:
children; gender-based violence; institutional efficacy; legislation; police/security forces; sexual violence
Title:
The Domestic Violence Act, 2007
Accessed Date:
22 November 2012
Keywords:
domestic violence; legislation
Title:
Information on Sisters United Against Female Genital Mutilation and Sisters United Against Female Circumcision in Freetown (2011-August 2015)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
24 August 2015
Accessed Date:
11 January 2016
Keywords:
children; conflict; crime; female genital mutilation; gender-based violence; human rights activists; social services
Title:
Country Rountry Report by Sierra Leone On Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome of the Twenty-Third Special Session of the General Assembly (2000)
Source:
Sierra Leone. Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs.
Date of Document:
April 2019
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. Social Institutions and Gender Index 2019.
Source:
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Date of Document:
7 December 2018
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
The Worst Forms of Violence Against Children and Youth in Sierra Leone
Source:
Search for Common Ground
Date of Document:
March 2015
Author:
Abdul H. Collier et al.
Accessed Date:
4 January 2017
Title:
Sierra Leone: Seeking Justice For Rape Survivors
Source:
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Date of Document:
8 August 2016
Author:
Bintu Conteh; Regina Pratt
Accessed Date:
4 January 2017
Title:
Les mariages forcés en Sierra Leone
Source:
France. Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides.
Date of Document:
6 December 2016
Accessed Date:
27 December 2017
Title:
Les mutilations sexuelles féminines (MSF)
Source:
France. Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides. Date of Document: 9 April 2018
Date of Document:
9 April 2018
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone : The Law and FGM
Date of Document:
September 2018
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. State-Sponsored Homophobia 2019.
Source:
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Date of Document:
March 2019
Author:
Lucas Ramón Mendos
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
7.
Criminality and Corruption
Title:
Sierra Leone: Tier 2 Watch List. Trafficking in Persons Report 2019.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
20 June 2019
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
8.
Military Service - (No items in this section)
9.
Judiciary, Legal and Penal Systems
Title:
Sierra Leone's Constitution of 1991, Reinstated in 1996, with Amendments through 2013
Source:
Sierra Leone; Comparative Constitutions Project
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
10.
Police and Security Forces
Title:
A Force for Good? Restrictions on Peaceful Assembly and Impunity for Excessive use of Force by the Sierra Leone Police
Source:
Amnesty International
Date of Document:
3 July 2018
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. Promoting inclusive governance and accountability. UNDP's Engagement with the Media for Governance, Sustainable Development and Peace.
Source:
United Nations Development Programme
Date of Document:
30 January 2019
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. International Religious Freedom Report for 2018.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
21 June 2019
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
13.
Nationality, Ethnicity and Race - (No items in this section)
14.
Exit/Entry and Freedom of Movement - (No items in this section)
15.
Labour, Employment and Unions - (No items in this section)
16.
Other - (No items in this section)
The following changes have been made to the previous package dated 29 March 2019:
Title:
Sierra Leone. Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Africa, 2017.
Source:
United States. Social Security Administration.
Date of Document:
September 2017
URL:
https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2016-2017/africa/sierra-leone.html
Accessed Date:
27 December 2017
Title:
Sierra Leone. The World Factbook.
Source:
United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Date of Document:
14 February 2019
URL:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html
Accessed Date:
21 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. Freedom in the World 2018.
URL:
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2018/sierra-leone
Accessed Date:
19 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone Citizenship Act, 1973 (amended in 1976)
URL:
http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b50610.html
Accessed Date:
3 April 2013
Keywords:
citizenship; legislation
Title:
Sierra Leone. U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
URL:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/SierraLeone.html
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. State Sponsored Homophobia 2017: A world survey of sexual orientation laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition.
Source:
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Date of Document:
May 2017
Author:
Aengus Carroll; Lucas Ramón Mendos
URL:
http://ilga.org/downloads/2017/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2017_WEB.pdf
Accessed Date:
27 December 2017
Title:
Sierra Leone: Tier 2 Watch List. Trafficking in Persons Report 2018.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
June 2018
URL:
https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-trafficking-in-persons-report/sierra-leone/
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991 (reinst. 1996, rev. 2008)
URL:
https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Sierra_Leone_2008?lang=en
Accessed Date:
26 January 2018
Title:
Sierra Leone. International Religious Freedom Report for 2017.
Source:
United States. Department of State.
Date of Document:
29 May 2018
URL:
https://www.state.gov/reports/2017-report-on-international-religious-freedom/sierra-leone/
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone: Parliament Enacts into Law the Citizenship Amendment Act 2017
Source:
Parliament of Sierra Leone
Date of Document:
5 July 2017
URL:
http://citizenshiprightsafrica.org/sierra-leone-parliament-enacts-into-law-the-citizenship-amendment-act-2017/
Accessed Date:
22 March 2019
Title:
Paramount chiefdoms of Kono District, including names; whether there is a paramount chief for Kono; information on the chiefdom in Koidu, including names of its paramount chiefs since 1985, how they are appointed, and their duties (1985- June 2015)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
2 July 2015
URL:
http://irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=455989
Accessed Date:
14 January 2016
Title:
Civic Freedom Monitor: Sierra Leone
Source:
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
Date of Document:
10 November 2018
URL:
http://www.icnl.org/research/monitor/sierraleone.html
Accessed Date:
18 March 2019
Title:
The Sierra Leone Women's Health Network, including its mission, the services it offers, and projects (2011-June 2015)
Source:
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Date of Document:
3 July 2015
URL:
http://irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=455988
Accessed Date:
26 January 2016
Title:
Sierra Leone. Freedom of the Press 2016.
URL:
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2016/sierra-leone
Accessed Date:
4 January 2017
Title:
Sierra Leone: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2017
URL:
https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b50610.html
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
Republic of Sierra Leone. Election for President of 31 March 2018.
Source:
International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Election Guide.
URL:
http://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3048/
Accessed Date:
21 January 2020
Title:
Country Rountry Report by Sierra Leone On Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (1995) and the Outcome of the Twenty-Third Special Session of the General Assembly (2000)
Source:
Sierra Leone. Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs.
Date of Document:
April 2019
URL:
https://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-documents/Beijing25/national_report_on_bdpfa_-final_sierra_leone.pdf
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Title:
Sierra Leone. Promoting inclusive governance and accountability. UNDP's Engagement with the Media for Governance, Sustainable Development and Peace.
Source:
United Nations Development Programme
Date of Document:
30 January 2019
URL:
https://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Democratic%20Governance/OGC/UNDP%20Engagement%20with%20the%20Media.pdf
Accessed Date:
5 December 2019
Disclaimer
National Documentation Packages (NDPs) include country-of-origin information that is publicly accessible at the time of publication and available within time constraints. While the Research Directorate strives to maintain the
NDP with current information, the research is not exhaustive and country conditions can change rapidly. Members of the public are invited to
suggest documents they feel are relevant to the
NDP.
NDPs are not, and do not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Rather, they are intended to support the refugee determination process. The assessment and weight to be given to the information in the
NDPs are the responsibility of independent
IRB members (decision-makers) after considering the evidence and arguments presented by the parties.
All sources are fully cited, including a hyperlink, to facilitate the location of the information. The
IRB will attempt to ensure that these links are maintained for the most recent
NDP. It cannot guarantee or be responsible for:
- the functionality of links to external sources,
- the content accessed by these links,
- the availability of external content in both English and French,
- any other part of a third party website.
The information presented in
NDPs solely reflects the views and perspectives of the sources cited and does not necessarily reflect the position of the
IRB or the Government of Canada.