The two chambers of the Liberian Legislature has handed and amended the Country’s Alien and Nationality Law, thereby legalizing twin citizenship for Liberians and folks of Negro-decent.
However, the legislation prohibits individuals with twin citizenship from holding elected place within the Legislature and sure positions within the Executive together with; the Presidency, Central Bank Governor, Finance Minister and Defense Minister, amongst others.
The Legislature resolution on Tuesday was on account of a convention Committee report submitted by each Houses of the Legislature, recommending the passage of the draft laws.
In the Senate, the invoice acquired enormous assist with solely two Senators abstaining from the vote; whereas within the House of Representatives, 20 lawmakers voted in favor, one in opposition to and no abstention.
“Our nation has devoted this yr to welcome all individuals of negro-decent and to try this, it’s needed for these amendments to our Alien and National legal guidelines to be enacted if we’re to attain our imaginative and prescient and exploration now we have set for ourselves. Our nation has devoted itself as the house of the Negro-race, the Conference Committee mentioned in its report learn by the Secretary of the Senate, Naborlor Sengbe.
It added: “We know that we haven’t address all the concerns and aspiration raised about the law, and all of us on the conference committee didn’t agreed one hundred percent on everything in this amendment but we assured you that what we submit to you is sufficiently comprehensive as a starter for the modernization of our Alien and nationality law. In view of the forgoing we submit for your consideration an amendment to certain potion of our Alien and National law relating to citizenship and restoring the citizenship rights.”
What’s In the Bill?
Article 28 states: “Any person, at least one of whose parents was a citizen of Liberia at the time of the Person’s birth, shall be a citizen of Liberia; provided that any such person shall upon reaching maturity renounce any other citizenship acquired by virtue of one parent being a citizen of another country. No citizen of the Republic shall be deprived of citizenship or nationality except as provided by law, and no person shall be denied the right to change citizenship or nationality.”
The Act was submitted by Representative Acarous M. Gray (CDC, District #8 Montserrado County) and was co-sponsored by 30 members of the House of Representatives in November 2021.
It seeks to amend a number of provisions of the Aliens and Nationality Law of the Liberian Code of Law Revised, Vol. II.
According to the crafters of the invoice, the present legislation is repugnant to, and is inconsistent with Article 11 (b) &(C), 27 and 28 referring to equal safety underneath the legislation (Fundamental Rights) and citizenship.
The crafters additionally famous these inconsistencies, as noticed by the committee’s findings, the framers of the 1986 Constitution requested the Legislature to prescribe different requirements and standards, and procedures by which Liberian citizenship could also be obtained.
According to them, the modification of those legal guidelines will fulfill 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.”
It will now be forwarded to the President for signature, and if he indicators, it should robotically take impact upon printing into handbill.
However, if the President rejects it, which is very unlikely, then the invoice shall be despatched again to the Legislature together with motive(s) for rejection. And this may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each chambers.
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