By T. Lula Jaurey
IPNews-Monrovia,Liberia-29 August 2018: Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson, one of the lawyers presenting embattled Associate Justice of the Supreme Kabineh Ja’ neh, has expressed outrage over persistent quest by members of the House of Representatives to go ahead with the submission of a bill of ‘impeachment’, of Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’ neh contrary to a ‘writ of prohibition’, filed by the presiding Justice in chambers Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh.
Cllr. Johnson stated that the continued action by members of the House of Representatives is a ‘wrong precedence being set by the House of Representatives and a blatant disregard for the rule of law’.
He said the continued action by the House has a propensity to drive away potential investors into the country due to what he calls the creation of ‘wide wide west’.
The phrase ‘wide wide west’, is attributed to a state where there is no respect for the rule of law and where might makes right.
He disclosed during a press conference with Judicial Reporters that about 200 lawyers is expected to begin a week-long boycott of their respective courts, beginning September 2018.
Cllr. Johnson furthermore stated that the boycott of normal court proceedings is in swift protest action to the consistent disobedience by members of the House of Representatives to the presiding Supreme Court Justices in Chambers’ stay order seeking hearing into merits and demerits of the House’s impeachment proceedings against Associate Justice Kabineh M. Ja’neh.
It may be recalled, the Justice in Chambers, Associate Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, issued on August 18 a stay order against some members of the House of Representatives, including House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, to refrain from further impeachment proceedings against Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh, pending final determination, by the ‘Full Bench of the Supreme Court’, of Justice Ja’ neh’s complaint of constitutional violation by the House of Representatives.
The citation which was issued on Wednesday, August 22, 2018, to members of the House by the Supreme Court to appear unfortunately refused appearance, rather, reply the Justice in Chambers by a written communication to ’vacate the stay order and avoid further embarrassment’.
Speaking further, Cllr. Arthur Johnson said, the decision by lawmakers’ to disregard the Supreme Court’s stay order is an act of complete disrespect to the organic laws of the land,- ‘the Constitution’.
Furthermore, Cllr. Johnson stated that as part of their protest action, every lawyer throughout Liberia will be required to sit home and avoid every court activity as of September 3, 2018.
“This is unacceptable! Lawmakers should be demonstrating moral rectitude at all times especially in the protection of the constitution and ensure its fullest protection. But it is so disappointing with the current action of wanting to impeach a Associate Justice of the Supreme Court without respecting the procedures lay down by the very constitution they are speaking about.
“When senior government officials, especially Lawmakers show contempt for the law it becomes relatively impossible to require citizens and foreigners alike to respect the law. ” Cllr. Johnson contended.
The young energetic lawyer reminded members of the House of Representatives of their civil duty to protecting and defending the constitution at all times, as doing the contrary, would have serious consequences to the peace and stability of the country and democracy of the state.
Contrary to Cllr. Arthur Johnson call for week-long protest action by lawyers across the country, an official of the Bar Association, who preferred not to be named, stated that the Bar Association has not directed any action of such and wonders why Cllr. Johnson would be speaking on behalf of lawyers rather than himself.
Meanwhile, citizens of Nimbia country, meanly tribal men of Justice Ja’neh, on yesterday stormed the Capital Building calling on members of that body to put to an hut ongoing impeachment proceedings of their kinsmen, Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh.
The protesters who carried banners and placards with inscriptions ‘Ja’neh has done nothing for impeachment’; stop this mess, Liberia is all we got’; stop your disrespect for the rule of law’; among others.
Speaking to some of the protesters who claimed to be members of the Gio, Mano and Mandingo ethnic tribal group hailing from northern Liberia county of Nimba, told this paper they are becoming upset by what they calls an attack on a ‘peaceful Nimbian which will not be tolerated’.
