The Senate Joint Committee on Post and Telecommunications, Judiciary, Human Rights, Claims and Petition, as well as Defense, Security, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, on Friday, July 4, 2025, hosted several government institutions, in an effort to solicit expert opinions on the passage of the Cybercrime Act of 2025.
According to a release, the institutions that appeared include the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, National Identification Registry, Liberia Telecommunications Authority, Central Bank of Liberia, and Financial Intelligence Agency, amongst others.To enhance the prohibition, prevention, detection, response, and prosecution of Cybercrime, the Senate decided on Thursday, June 19, 2025, by mandating the Joint Committee to incorporate expert opinions from major stakeholders on the proposed Act of 2025 and report to Plenary in three weeks.
The Senate, having conducted a series of debates on the Cybercrime Act, had instructed its Joint Committee on Post and Telecommunications, the lead committee, Judiciary, as well as Defense, Security, Intelligence On Friday, July 4, 2025, the Senate Joint Committee on Post and Telecommunications, along with the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights, Claims and Petition, and Defense, Security, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs, convened several government institutions to gather expert opinions on the Cybercrime Act of 2025.
According to a press release, the institutions that participated included the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the National Identification Registry, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, the Central Bank of Liberia, and the Financial Intelligence Agency, among others.
To strengthen the prohibition, prevention, detection, response, and prosecution of cybercrime, the Senate decided on Thursday, June 19, 2025, to direct the Joint Committee to incorporate expert feedback from key stakeholders on the proposed Act and report back to the Senate Plenary within three weeks.
After thorough discussions on the Cybercrime Act, the Senate tasked the Joint Committee on Post and Telecommunications, the lead committee, along with the Judiciary and Defense, Security, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs, with the responsibility of gathering comprehensive expert opinions on the proposed legislation and providing recommendations to the Senate within three weeks.
The Act aims to establish effective measures to combat cybercrime, among other priorities outlined in the document. It was previously passed by the House of Representatives in 2021 and is now awaiting Senate concurrence. In conclusion, the committee’s Chairman, Senator Francis Saidy Dopoh from River Gee County, stated that any sections of the bill requiring changes would be communicated to the relevant stakeholders based on the deliberations. Specifically, Senator Dopoh mentioned that sections 4 to 8 contain excessive executive oversight that needs to be addressed to achieve a proper balance, among other concerns.
After the hearings, the committee will reconvene to compile its findings and present them accordingly.and Veteran Affairs to take charge of a holistic mobilization of expert opinions on the instrument and provide advisement to the Senate in the scope of three weeks.
The Act seeks the development of effective mechanisms to combat cybercrimes, amongst other priorities described in the document. The Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives in 2021, is before the Senate for concurrence. In closing, the joint committee Chairman, Senator Francis Saidy Dopoh of River Gee County said based on the deliberation, sections within the bill that need changes will be communicated to the relevant stakeholders.
Specifically, Senator Dopoh named sections 4 to 8 which he added have excessive executive distraction that needs to be looked at to strike a balance among others. Following the hearings, the committee will revert to the committee room and subsequently report its findings and recommendations to the Plenary of the Senate for actions.
