The Supreme Court has finally scheduled a hearing for the bill of information filed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and members of the 55th House of Representatives against Representative Richard N. Koon, who was described as “purported Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature”, Representative Thomas Fallah, Deputy Speaker of the House and members of the self-styled “majority bloc”.
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, the Supreme Court instructed its Marshal, Brig./Gen. Amos B. Kesseh Dickson, Sr., to notify Koon and others to appear and file their returns before the full bench of the Supreme Court, Temple of Justice, on or before March 14 at 9:00 a.m. to show cause why Speaker Koffa’s bill of information, as prayed for, should not be granted.
From all indications, it seems like the Justices of the Supreme Court are firm on their position not to recognize Representative Koon’s “speakership”, evident by their boycotting the State-of-the-Nation Address, clarification by Associate Justice Yarmie Quiqui Gbeisay for their boycott, and now the term used on Koon in the writ for a bill of information.
It can be recalled that the Supreme Court described the activities of the “majority bloc” as well as the election of Richard Koon to the Speakership as ultra vires, but also termed the activities of the “minority bloc” as ultra vires for not having a quorum to do business. Both divides of the House claimed victory by the court’s ruling at the time, but the court remained silent in the matter. However, during the State-of-the-Nation Address in January, all the Justices of the Supreme Court did not attend, and when the issue was raised, Associate Justice Gbeisay clarified that their going there would have legitimized the “majority bloc” and Koon’s Speakership.
A member of the “majority bloc” termed the Associate Justice’s statement as “liquor talk” in one of their sessions, and told his colleagues not to give ears to it.
The “majority bloc” later acknowledged receipt of a petition from a US-based Liberian to impeach the Chief Justice for not attending the SONA.
At first, the court was said to have been reluctant to hear the bill of information filed by the Rule of Law Caucus months ago, as the government has remained functional even though with an illegitimate Speaker. But apparently realizing that the “majority bloc” could do more harm if they are not stopped and put in the right perspective, the full bench has cited the Koffa bloc and the Koon bloc, possibly to speak truth to their faces and to allow the law to take course.
Howbeit, political pundits are still skeptical as to whether members of the “majority bloc” would concede to any decision of the court that is not in their favor, and wonder what would be the consequences for their continued “misbehavior” if they refuse to adhere to the court’s ruling again.