THE SUPREME COURT of Liberia has made the landmark decision of nullifying the section of the Alien and Nationality Law which automatically takes away the citizenship of any Liberian who naturalizes in a foreign country. As per the decision of the Supreme Court, a Liberian by birth who obtains naturalization in a foreign country will only forfeit his Liberian citizenship as a result of a “due process” of law. The Minister of Justice, Musa Dean, has therefore called on the Foreign Ministry to ensure that the implementers of the revised regulations governing the administration and issuance of Liberian passports “take due note”.
THE SUPREME COURT’S decision means that thousands of Liberians across the United States of America, Canada, Europe, Australia, etc., who have acquired citizenship in the country of their residence remain Liberian citizens until they forfeit their Liberian citizenship in a court of law. The landmark decision is the biggest step in the direction of dual citizenship, which has been advanced by rights activists, who argue that Liberians fled their homeland due to the civil war and should not be denied their Liberian citizenship because of that. President George M. Weah is in this line of thought, and has described the decision of the Supreme Court of Liberia as momentous.
THE COURT’S DECISION is a fulfillment of the long-held desire of the President to ensure Liberians of all persuasions, who left the country due to the civil war, are not deprived of their rights and privileges in the land they regard as home. “This is victory for all Liberians,” he said.
IT CAN BE recalled that despite the objection of some politicians, the Weah Administration introduced a set of proposals—including the call for dual citizenship—at the 2020 national referendum. The President also made a similar plea to the National Legislature during his first address to that body in 2018. By this decision, therefore, all Liberians remain Liberians unless divested of their citizenship by order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.