Ousmane Diagne installed as President of Senegal's Constitutional Council
Magistrate Ousmane Diagne was officially installed as President of the Constitutional Council on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during a solemn swearing-in ceremony. He was appointed to this position by presidential decree n掳 2026-1318 on July 13, 2026, signed by the Head of State, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Diagne succeeds Mamadou Badio Camara, who passed away in Dakar on April 10, 2025, leaving the institution's leadership vacant for over a year. A magistrate with a recognized career in the Senegalese judicial system, Ousmane Diagne has served as Prosecutor General at the Dakar Court of Appeal, first Advocate General at the Supreme Court, and Public Prosecutor. He also held the position of Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, in the first government led by Ousmane Sonko, before being called to head the Constitutional Council. His appointment meets the criteria set by the institution's governing texts, which reserve the presidency for a magistrate who has served as first president or prosecutor general of the Supreme Court, or chamber president. These conditions are also extended to tenured law professors, state inspectors general, or lawyers with at least twenty years of experience. The Constitutional Council, now led by Ousmane Diagne, is responsible for upholding the Constitution, controlling the conformity of laws, and ensuring the regularity of electoral processes in Senegal.
