MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Supreme Court of Liberia has ruled that the actions of the self-declared Majority Bloc within the House of Representatives are unconstitutional, delivering a major legal victory to embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.
The landmark ruling was handed down on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, by Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh, who declared that any legislative sitting or decision-making session convened without the duly elected Speaker presiding, while present and not incapacitated, violates the country’s Constitution.
“Any action or sitting of the majority bloc in which the elected speaker is not presiding despite being present and is not absent or incapacitated is unconstitutional,” Chief Justice Yuoh stated from the bench. “The majority bloc is hereby mandated to operate in the interpretation of the Constitution as stated by the Supreme Court.”
The decision came in response to a Bill of Information filed by Speaker Koffa, challenging the legitimacy of the majority bloc’s recent parliamentary proceedings, which were held without his participation. The ruling effectively strips the bloc of any legal standing to carry out House business independently while the Speaker remains active and capable.
The case has highlighted mounting tensions within the House of Representatives, where power struggles and shifting alliances have recently dominated legislative activity. The Supreme Court’s ruling reaffirms the authority of the Speaker and sets a clear constitutional limit on internal legislative maneuvers aimed at bypassing the presiding officer.
As of press time, there has been no official response from the Majority Bloc. However, political observers say the court’s decision could trigger a new wave of legal and political recalibrations within the lower chamber of Liberia’s Legislature.
