Liberia: House passes dual citizenship bill
Published: 12/Nov/2021
Source: New Dawn (Monrovia)
Members of the Liberian House of Representatives on Thursday, November 11, passed into law an act to amend the country’s Alien and Nationality Law.
The Act, which was co-sponsored by 30 lawmakers from the House of Representatives, was submitted by Chief sponsor, Rep. Acarous Gray and read on the Plenary of the House on November 2, 2021, seeks to amend Part III, Chapter 20, Section 20.1; Chapter 21, Sections 21.30, 21.31, 21.51 & 21.52 and Chapter 22, Sections 22.1, 22.1 & 22.4 of the Aliens and Nationality Law of the Liberian Code of Law Revised, Vol. II.
According to the crafters of the bill, the current law as it exists is repugnant to and is inconsistent with Article 11 (b) &(C), 27 and 28 relating to equal protection under the law (Fundamental Rights) and citizenship.
The crafters also noted that those inconsistencies as observed by the committee’s findings, the framers of the 1986 Constitution requested the legislature to prescribe other standards and criteria and procedures by which Liberian citizenship may be obtained.
According to them, the amendment or repeal of these laws will satisfy the constitutional provision of Article 2 (2) of the 1986 Constitution which states: Any laws, treaties, statutes, decrees, customs, and regulations found to be inconsistent with it shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void and of no legal effect. The Supreme Court, pursuant to its power of judicial review, is empowered to declare any inconsistent laws unconstitutional.
The Bill having been passed by the House will be forwarded to the Senate for concurrence (full bill below).
Read further: https://thenewdawnliberia.com/house-passes-dual-citizenship-bill/