A resolution to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia has landed before plenary of the Senate amid contestations by Senator Prince Johnson, Senator Thomas Nimely, and others.
During the Tuesday, March 5, 2024 sitting of the House, over 40 representatives affixed their signatures on a resolution to establish the WECC in Liberia to give justice to victims of the 14 years of bloody civil war in the country.
According to the House Department of Press, the resolution recounted how the civil wars from 1989 to 2003 resulted in death and destruction across Liberia. It added that the wars also resulted in the displacement of nearly half the population, horrific abuses, including summary executions, massacres, rape, and other forms of sexual violence, mutilation and torture and forced conscription and use of child combatants.
During its Thursday, March 7, 2024 sitting, the plenary of the Liberian Senate received the resolution from the House of Representatives, and it was read by Secretary of the Senate, Nanborlor Singbeh.
Following a motion by Maryland County Senator, J. Gbleh-bo Brown, the communication was forwarded to the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Claims and Petitions and Security, Defense, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs.
In his motion, Senator Brown said the committees are given two weeks to report back to plenary and ensure that each Senator receives a copy of the resolution to get a full understanding before the matter is debated.
Prior to the communication being sent to the relevant committees, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon sought clarity on whether the instrument was a bill, a petition or a resolution.
“I want us to be clear on this. The document sent to this Senate from the House of Representatives, is it a bill or the Legislature is petitioning itself or a resolution,” he added. But Senator Gbleh-bo Brown clarified that what the Senate has received is a resolution and not a bill or a petition.
At the same time, River Gee County Senator, Jonathan Boye-Charles Sogbie, informed the body that there are kinds of resolutions: simple, concurrence and joint resolutions. As such, he sought to know which one was received from the House of Representatives.
He named a simple resolution as that which affects one house of the Legislature; concurrence resolution, for both houses; and joint resolution as that which is decided by both houses at once.
But in a quick response while in her presiding seat, Senate Pro-Tempore and Senator of Grand Bassa County, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence clarified that it is a simple resolution.
Meanwhile, three members of the Liberian Senate: the Senator of Grand Kru County and immediate ex-Pro-Tempore, Albert Chie, Prince Y. Johnson of Nimba and Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh counties,are opposing the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia.
