By Stephen Roberts
MONROVIA, June 17 (LINA) – Governance Commission (GC) in collaboration with the Law Reform Commission and other Stakeholders across the country has ended a two-day Policy Dialogue meeting aimed at reviewing and examining the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.
The policy dialogue meeting intends to foster good governance and promote economic and infrastructure development in Liberia.
The forum brought together legal experts, policymakers, and civil society leaders, urging a broad, inclusive process to address longstanding doubt and gaps within the Liberia organic laws of the country.
Speaking at the opening of the program, Acting Commission of the Governance Commission Alaric Tokpa said the Review of the 1986 Constitution was intended to assess imperatives challenges and Prospects, noting that the dialogue sought to draw public interest in constitutional reform and lay groundwork for a structured review process.
Prof. Alaric Tokpa said the commission would compile the recommendations into a report for submission to the President and the Legislature.
According to him, Section 4.1.10 of the GC Act empowers the commission to propose legislative and constitutional changes aimed at strengthening good governance.
He said the 1986 Constitution has served Liberia through post-war recovery, targeted amendments are needed to address ambiguity, promote inclusivity, and align the document with current democratic standards.
For his part, the Chairperson of the Law Reform Commission Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah, outlined technical constraints in the amendment process under Article 91.
He noted that the high threshold for amendments has made the constitution rigid, making it difficult to adapt to evolving governance needs.
“Reform should not mean instability,” Varmah said, “but the law must be able to respond to the realities of today’s Liberia.”
According to him, amending the Liberia constitution will strengthen good governance and promote economic development across the country.