The parliament is led by the Speaker of the House; the position is currently held by Abass Bundu of the Sierra Leone People's Party.

A Committee of Correspondence, constituting a group of Creole businessmen was formed in 1853, and was later replaced by the Mercantile Association in 1858 with the primary objective of securing the right of political representation for Colony citizens.

Petitions and newspapers to the Secretary of State for Colonies served as pressure, calling for a new constitution and an elected assembly for Sierra Leone.

The Executive Council constituted the following: the Governor, the Chief Justice, Queen's Advocate (Attorney-General), Colony Secretary, and the Officer Commanding Troops.

Due to riots and strikes by railway workers, more anti-colonial pressure was mounted, which led to the formation of the National Congress for West Africa in 1920 with men like F.W Dove, a businessman and H.C Bankole Bright, a Medical Doctor.

This congress demanded the following: a party-elected legislative council in each colony – this however met with failure even when the delegation was sent to London to press for action.

To satisfy their demands, Governor Slater planned a new constitution in 1924 which conceded the elective principles for the colony, with some protectorate representation by chiefs.

Out of the 10 unofficial Members, were 5 Colony Representatives elected from among the educated Creole elites and the 3 Paramount Chiefs from the Protectorate nominated by the Governor.

In 1951 further constitutional development was made by Governor Beresford Stoke, which increased the Paramount Chiefs representation in the Legislative assembly to 12, one, for each district, a practice that prevails today.

The defining parameter for the delimitation of electoral boundaries was population quota, based on the most recent census results.

Under the leadership of Siaka Stevens, The APC government undertook certain constitutional reforms that altered significantly the British set-up of the Sierra Leone Parliament.

In 1971, Sierra Leone assumed a republican status with an Executive Presidency that doubled as Head of State and Government.

Sierra Leone was ushered into another period of military rule during which the activities of Parliament were indefinitely suspended.

The 2007 elections in Sierra Leone have been widely acclaimed as having been historical and significant in several senses, including their conduct along the lines of the first-past-the post-electoral system.

The current Parliament that emerged from the electoral system saw the first litmus test of the spirit and intent of the 1991 Constitution (Act No.6 of 1991).

The Sierra Leone Parliament has a total number of 124 MPs including the 112 elected through the first-past-the post electoral system and the 12 Paramount Chiefs, one from each of the twelve districts.

This is in compliance with section 74 (1) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone and in line with tradition inherited from colonial rule.

The Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone comprises the SLPP (81) and APC (54) seats with a total of 14 Paramount Chiefs.

Parliament may make laws for the peace, security, order and good government of Sierra Leone.

Qualifications for Membership in Parliament Subject to the provisions of section 76, any person who: is a citizen of Sierra Leone (otherwise than by naturalization); and has attained the age of twenty-one years; and is an elector whose name is on a register of electors under the Franchise and Electoral Registration Act,1961, or under any Act of Parliament amending or replacing that Act; and is able to speak and to read the English Language with a degree of proficiency sufficient to enable him to take an active part in the proceedings of Parliament, shall be qualified for election as such a Member of Parliament: Provided that a person who becomes a citizen of Sierra Leone by registration by law shall not be qualified for election as such a Member of Parliament or of any Local Authority unless he shall have resided continuously in Sierra Leone for twenty-five years after such registration or shall have served in the Civil or Regular Armed Services of Sierra Leone for a continuous period of twenty-five years.

No person shall be qualified for election as a Member of Parliament: if he is a naturalised citizen of Sierra Leone or is a citizen of a country other than Sierra Leone having become such a citizen voluntarily or is under a declaration of allegiance to such a country; or if he is a member of any Commission established under this Constitution, or a member of the Armed Forces of the Republic, or a public officer, or an employee of a Public Corporation established by an Act of Parliament, or has been such a member, officer or employee within twelve months prior to the date on which he seeks to be elected to Parliament; or if under any law in force in Sierra Leone he is adjudged to be a lunatic or otherwise declared to be of unsound mind; or if he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence which involves fraud or dishonesty; or if he is under a sentence of death imposed on him by any court; or if in the case of the election of such member as is referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 74, he is for the time being a Paramount Chief under any law; or if being a person possessed of professional qualifications, he is disqualified (otherwise than at his own request) from practicing his profession in Sierra Leone by order of any competent authority made in respect of him personally within the immediately preceding five years of an election held in pursuance of section 87;or if he is for the time being the President, the vice-president, a Minister or a Deputy Minister under the provisions of this Constitution A person shall not be qualified for election to Parliament if he is convicted by any court of any offence connected with the election of Members of Parliament: Provided that in any such case the period of disqualification shall not exceed a period of five years from the date of the general election following the one for which he was disqualified.

Each session in Parliament shall be held at such place within Sierra Leone and shall commence at such time as the President may be Proclamation appoint.

Parliament shall stand dissolved at the expiration of a period of five years commencing from the date of its first sitting after a general election.

Notwithstanding anything contained in subsections (1) and (2) Parliament may at any time appoint any other Committee to investigate any matter of public importance.

The composition of each of the Committees appointed under subsections (1), (2) and (4) shall, as much as possible, reflect the strength of the political parties and Independent Members in Parliament.

For the purposes of effectively performing its functions, each of the Committees shall have all such powers, rights and privileges as are vested in the High Court at a trial in respect of: enforcing the attendance of witnesses and examining them on oath, affirmation or otherwise; compelling the production of documents; and the issue of a commission or request to examine witnesses abroad.

The current speaker of Parliament is the Honourable Sheku Badara Bashiru Dumbuya from the ruling All People's Congress (APC).

The Majority leader is usually a long-term member of Parliament and is a key ally of the President of Sierra Leone, who are often from the same party.

The current Majority leader of Parliament is the Honourable Ibrahim Rassin Bundu from the ruling All People's Congress He was elected on 21 January 2014.

The current Minority leader of Parliament is the Honourable Bernadette Lahai from the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party.