By: Stephen G. Fellajuah
Email fellajuahstepheng@gmail.com
The Newly commissioned Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh has promised a robust judiciary under her administration and said she will hold no allegiance to any authority rather the principal of Liberian law which will be used to concordantly render opinion timely and expediently.
Making analogy, Justice Yuoh stressed that her administration will be very robust and straight to the law as it was done with former England Chief Justice John Marshall who knee to the monarch and rose from his knee to take his oath of office as a signed that he holds allegiance to no authority but the principal of law.
‘’As the former chief justice of England who kneed before the throne of the king when taken oath as obedience to the king. But, when taken his oath as to the administration of the law rose from his keen and stood up before the king to demonstrate that he holds no allegiance to the monarch or anyone except the written law and his conscious”, she further promised.
She said that her abiding convection to uphold constitutional principal of due process guaranteed all citizens and residents their rights, adding their resolve to discourage the phibostering by lawyers and clients determine to delay cases in their court through unnecessary legal technicality just to frustrate the end of justice.
‘’ We will make sure that justice is provided to all in pursuant to article 11 a and b. cardinal to this, I will resolve to not only hear the human rights cases but to concordantly render opinion upon timely and expediently. As we set this permit, we expect all trial judges will gradually follow our examples’’ Justice Yuoh noted.
On Monday October 10, 2022, the Supreme Court of Liberia officially opened it October term of Court which was also marked with the seating of her honor Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia after she was commissioned by President George M. Weah.
The program was graced by President George Weah, members of the Liberian Senate represented by Grand Kru County senator Albert Chea, and the House of Representative Speaker Bhofal Chambers and members of the diplomatic mission and several lawyers.
However, at the ceremony held in the chamber of the Supreme Court, Justice Yuoh urged judges, and magistrates to attach motion to the judicial carnal particularly carnal 5 which states that ‘’the court is the last place of hope for man on earth’’, mentioning that when party litigants appear before judges and magistrates respective courts they bear the anticipation that their rights will be at speed and justice will prevail irrespective of the person involved.
She said why she holds the view that lack of adequate support to the judiciary is erosion to the rule of law, peace, and security of the republic, notwithstanding, these challenges should never deter them from the code duty that they as judicial officers have to perform.
Justice Yuoh indicated, that in this regard, her colleagues on the bench with whom she had worked with over time has agreed in principle to forester an unprecedented processor in tackling these challenges, adding that they have agree to build a strong coordination between the Supreme Court and the other two branches of government.
‘’We have agreed to maintain a vibrant network between the bench and the Liberia National Bar Association and have resolved to implement judicial policy that will make the working of the court visible and appreciated by the citizens and residence’’ Justice Yuoh said.
The third female Chief Justice added that cardinal to all this, she will resolve to not only hear the human rights cases but to concorandily render opinion upon timely and expediently, noting that as they set this permit, they expect all trial judges will gradually follow their examples.
‘’ My colleagues and I are in agreement that all of these concerted efforts mention bearing will find the fire of hope in our people. We are mindful that this supreme court is the last place of hope and as such we are resolved to reposition our post to a judicial status that will not only be highly respected, but will bear by all the spirit and changes of our modern society’’, she noted.
Justice Yuoh explained that they will work with the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) and the fourth estate to develop judicial policy that will adequately explain in lay man term the culture of repose in the justice system in order to remove the cloud of disconcertion, false immeradus, and vision critizing that are tinting the image of the judiciary.
She said that she is open to obstructive criticism and that they are determined to administer justice to without fear or favor pursuant to Article 11 b and c of the constitution of Liberia.
‘’This idol of equal rights is so important to the judiciary that they are embalm on the walls of the Temple of justice in the quote ‘’ let justice be done to all’’. This is a creed of all of the courts of this republic including the Supreme Court from the administration of chief Justice Samuel Bendict in 1848 to the administration of chief justice Francis Korkpor every administration of the judiciary including this Yuoh will continue to uphold this creed’’ she vowed.
