Monrovia, January 23, 2026: The Plenary of the Liberian Senate on Thursday, January 22, 2026, received a communication from four Senators submitting a bill aimed at strengthening access to labor justice.
The four Senators Joseph K. Jallah, Alex J. Tyler, Nyonblee Kanga-Lawrence, and Simeon B. Taylor, representing Lofa, Bomi, Grand Bassa, and Grand Cape Mount Counties, respectively, proposed legislation, titled "An Act to Amend Chapter 23 of the New Judiciary Law, Title 17, Liberian Code of Laws Revised," seeks to provide for the operationalization and prioritized establishment of labor courts in the four counties.
The Senators said the bill is to strengthen access to labor justice, fulfil constitutional guarantees under Article 20(b), improve enforcement of the Decent Work Act (2015), and advance decentralization by ensuring that Labor Courts already established on paper become fully functional and properly staffed in the three counties where they are most urgently needed.
The four Senators argued that Chapter 23 of the New Judiciary Law, Title 17, establishes Labor Courts in each of the fifteen (15) counties of Liberia and vests such courts with exclusive appellate jurisdiction over labor matters arising from Hearing Officers and Labor Commissioners.
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Senators further said Section 23.16 of the same Chapter vests temporary labor-appeal jurisdiction in the Debt Courts of the counties until Judges of the Labor Courts are appointed and commissioned.
"WHEREAS after several decades the Labor Courts in several counties remain non-operational, thereby imposing heavy burdens on workers, employers, agricultural laborers, concession-affected communities, and small businesses in securing timely and inexpensive access to justice as guaranteed by Article 20(b) of the Constitution," Senators said.
Senators also said Lofa County, Grand Cape Mount County, and Bomi County are major centres of agriculture, concessions, cross-border trade, and industrial activities, and urgently require functional LaborCourts to promote industrial peace and stable labour-market governance.
They indicated that if it is enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, the Government shall prioritize the establishment, staffing, and operationalization of Labor Courts in Lofa County (Voinjama), Grand Cape Mount County (Robertsport), Grand Bassa (Buchanan) and Bomi County (Tubmanburg) within twelve (12) months of the coming into force of this Act.
The proposed act notes that the Judiciary shall, within the period specified in subsection (c), assign and commission a Judge of the Labor Court for each of the four prioritized counties.
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It further indicated that the Minister of Finance and Development Planning shall include in each national annual budget a distinct line item for the administration, personnel, logistics, bailiffs, clerks, and operational support for the Labor Courts established under subsection.
Upon presentation, the communication was received by the Senate plenary and forwarded to the appropriate committee for review and recommendation.
