Senegal Constitutional Court blocks controversial constitutional reforms

Senegal’s Constitutional Court declared the parliament‑approved amendment to the constitution unconstitutional on 9 July. The amendment would have defined marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman and introduced changes to the balance of power, including a ban on a sitting president leading a political party.

The ruling overturns a bill passed by a unanimous vote in the National Assembly on 29 June and highlights the power struggle between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and parliamentary speaker Ousmane Sonko, leader of the ruling PASTEF party. Critics view the reforms as an attempt by Sonko to consolidate power, while the president had planned to form his own party. The decision also leaves LGBT+ communities in a precarious position, as the proposed same‑sex marriage ban is now blocked. The court’s intervention comes amid a broader political crisis linked to the disclosure of misreported debt in 2024.