Judicial Rift?

–As Chief Justice Boycotts Bar Inductio?
By R. Joyclyn Wea
The Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) on Friday, January 25, 2019 inducted into office new corps of officers to steer the affairs of the Bar for the next two years.

During the ceremony only three of the five Justices were present at the program even though the entire Supreme Court or the full Bench of the Honorable Supreme Court was invited to witness the ceremony held at the Paynesville City Corporation.
Those three include: Associate Justices Kabinet M. Ja’neh, Sie-Nyen G. Youh and Jamesetta Wolokollie while Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe and Chief Justice Francis Korkpor were absent from the event with reason yet to be established.
The absence of Chief Justice, Francis Sei Korkpor left many unanswered questions and speculations in the minds of lawyers, judges and the Liberian society in general.
Some believed that the Chief Justice does not want to cross path with Associate Justice Kabinet M. Ja’neh after giving him (Ja’neh) slap in the face by vote for his impeachment by the House of Representatives.
As you may be aware, Associate Justice Ja’neh filed a petition for the writ of prohibition with the Liberian Supreme Court of whom he is a part of praying that honorable Court to place a stay order on the House of Representatives from proceeding with any impeachment process surrounding him until the matter can be looked into by the High Court.
When arguments were heard, the quorum could not be found to dispose of the matter as there was a tie with the two male (CJ Korkpor and Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe) voting for and Associate Justices Youh and Wolokollie voting against the impeachment of their colleague citing procedural error by the Lawyers.
While, others alleged that the LNBA new President Cllr. Gongloe have no close talk on grounds that the Liberian Human Right Lawyer have been one of those persons checkmating the positions or opinions of the Supreme Court.
“I will say the CJ boycotted the Induction Ceremony because an invitation was extended to the Full Bench and he decided not to show up for reason best known to himself,” a counselor is quoted as saying. The CJ had always attended the Bar Activities but, again he has his own reason of staying away.
“I’m disappointed to some extent seeing three of the Associate Justices presence without the CJ. But again we understand that the CJ is no friend to this new leadership due to their stance on issues within the Judiciary system and how the Supreme Court handles matters at times,” another counselor asserted.
Meanwhile, The objectives of the LNBA is to amongst other things promote the science of jurisprudence, advance the cause of legal education, and help maintain the independence of the judiciary; to further secure the passage of legislations that will, from time to time, improve the Judicial System and the proper administration of justice in the Republic, and to as well promote fraternal feelings and good fellowship amongst members of the Association, and between them and members of the Liberian National Bar Association of foreign countries.
Accordingly, delivering speech at the ceremony, Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe said in addition to continuing the current programs and projects of the bar, his administration will develop a “Bar Journal” to serve as an avenue for lawyers to critically examine the opinions of the Supreme Court through scholarly article.
He further indicated that his team is also going to work on an insurance scheme for members of the Bar, and to lead the Bar in serving a general counsel for the Liberian society on all contentious legal issues. TNR