Monrovia — The full Bench of the Supreme Court of Liberia is scheduled to hear two high-stakes cases this Wednesday, March 26, 2025, involving the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, and the rival legislative faction led by Representative Richard Koon, who claims speakership on behalf of the so-called majority bloc.

The scheduled hearing follows months of constitutional crisis and political turbulence within the Legislature, further intensified by a controversial December 6, 2024 ruling by the Court, which many observers say left unclear which faction it favored.

In the wake of that ruling, Speaker Koffa filed a Bill of Information before the Supreme Court, accusing the majority bloc--led by Koon--and the Minister of Justice, who also serves as Attorney General, of defying the Court's judgment and engaging in actions inconsistent with the Constitution and the Court's directive.

Koffa's Bill of Information references the Supreme Court's ruling, which unequivocally held that "whether a simple majority is sitting or a lower number, in both cases a presiding officer, defined in Article 49 of the Constitution, is the Speaker, and in his/her absence, the Deputy Speaker must preside." The Court further ruled that "any sittings or actions by members of the Legislature not in conformity with the intent of Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution are ultra vires."

The Court, in its Final Judgment, ordered that members of the House of Representatives must conduct their affairs in strict adherence to the constitutional requirements for quorum and presiding authority.

The Final Judgment reiterated the requirement for compliance with both Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution, which mandate the presence of the Speaker--or, in his absence, the Deputy Speaker--as the legitimate presiding officer during House proceedings.

Despite this clear directive, Koffa contends that Representatives Koon, Thomas Fallah, and other members of the rival faction have continued to convene unauthorized legislative sessions, including budget hearings, in open defiance of the Supreme Court's ruling. All such actions, he argues, remain invalidated and without legal effect.