MONROVIA – Associate Justice Yamie Gbeisay has issued a forceful dissent against the Supreme Court’s recent majority opinion, describing the ruling as “a slap in the face of justice” and warning that it could trigger institutional collapse across the Liberian government.
The Court’s controversial decision, which granted a Bill of Information filed by House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, reaffirmed Koffa’s legitimacy and declared the actions of the opposing majority bloc in the House unconstitutional. However, Justice Gbeisay, in a dissenting opinion delivered on Wednesday, strongly criticized the judgment as illogical and dangerous for Liberia’s democratic stability.
Gbeisay pointed out what he termed a glaring contradiction in the ruling. He argued that the judiciary and the rest of the government continue to operate under the 2025 national budget, passed by the very lawmakers whose authority the Court has now invalidated. “How can the same budget be considered illegal, while salaries and public services are still functioning under it?” he asked, questioning the coherence of the majority’s reasoning.
He also accused suspended lawmakers of hypocrisy for challenging the budget’s legality while still demanding their salaries and benefits under the same fiscal framework.
According to Gbeisay, the Court’s decision to nullify the budget risks triggering chaos, bringing government operations to a halt, and paralyzing the judiciary. He warned that such a move could ignite a full-scale constitutional crisis.
The Associate Justice emphasized that judicial decisions must be grounded in both legal principle and practical reasoning, noting that courts must prioritize peace, order, and institutional stability. He expressed support for President Joseph Boakai’s handling of the political turmoil in the House of Representatives, arguing that the executive has a duty to maintain national order during such crises.
Rejecting the majority’s judgment as “improper,” Justice Gbeisay called for the opinion to be withdrawn in the future to protect the integrity of the Court and the stability of Liberia’s democracy. His dissent underscores deep divisions within the Supreme Court and casts further uncertainty over the resolution of the ongoing legislative power struggle.
