— As Overcrowded Prison Raises Alarm at Court Opening; Including Ethical improprieties Detected

IPNEWS: President Joseph Boakai has officially dedicated the 14th Judicial Circuit Court in Cestos City, Rivercess County, stressing a unify effort against corruption.

He said the modern judicial center represents a significant milestone in Liberia’s efforts to decentralize governance and bolster the rule of law.

The construction of the Rivercess County Judicial Center began under former President George Weah’s administration, with the project costing a little over 1.6 million United States Dollars according to Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh.

“Bittar Construction Company” is a foreign construction company that contracted the project.

In his remarks, President Boakai stressed the importance of ensuring justice accessibility to all citizens, regardless of their location.

He reaffirmed the Executive Branch’s commitment to supporting the judiciary, noting that effective governance requires collaboration across all branches of government.

“This dedication is more than just a building; it represents our commitment to improving governance and ensuring that justice reaches every corner of Liberia,” President Boakai stated.

The President called for stronger cooperation between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches to combat corruption and ensure the fair and equitable dispensation of justice.

Chief Justice Yuoh, in her address, expressed appreciation for the government’s continued support and commitment to the judiciary.

She noted that the new center would play a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the judicial system in Rivercess County.

While acknowledging the continuity in governance that allowed the project to reach completion, the Liberian Chief Justice revealed that the dedication of the Rivercess County Judicial Complex is a vital step forward in Liberia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its judicial infrastructure and ensure that justice is accessible to all citizens.

She assured ensured citizens of Rivercess County, and eventually all of Liberia, the benefit from the principles of constitutional democracy.

Meanwhile several Magistrates across the country have alarmed over the unprecedented over crowdedness of prisons around the country.

The Magistrates in their respective statement on the opening of the court, said that many of the detainees were mainly from minor cases.

Judge Carey, resident Judge indicated that Kakata Center Prison currently has a total of 204 inmates in prison, noting that a total of 162 are detainees and 42 have been given jail sentences.

According to him, out of the 162 detainees, 4 are females and 158 are males.

Judge Carey urged Associates and Stipendiary Magistrates at the 13th judicial circuit court to cite party litigants for conferences and avoid the insurance rate of arrest for Minor cases.

Also presenting her welcoming statement, Attorney Deddeh Wilson attributed the overcrowding due to the incapacity of prison compounds and the failure from the government to construct buildings that will accommodate more inmates, something she said the court has no other area to send inmates except the prison.

In Grand Bassa County, at the seven Magisterial Courts and the Traffic Court in Grand Bassa County, a total of 127 cases were reported on the docketed of the court for the August term, with majority of which are pretty criminal.

According to court records, 121 of the cases are criminal, while only six are civil.

This marks a decrease from the February term, when the same courts had 282 cases, including 265 criminal and 17 civil matters. Of those, 144 criminal and 11 civil cases were resolved.

Delivering his charge on Monday, August 12, 2024, at the opening of the August term in Upper Buchanan, Judge Joe Barkon noted that the Second Judicial Circuit Court is preparing to address 95 cases, both criminal and civil, during this term.

In the May term, Judge Barkon reported 99 cases on the docket, but only four criminal and two civil cases were concluded.

As the August term unfolds, Judge Barkon acknowledged the challenge of managing this substantial caseload, with a particular emphasis on the high number of criminal cases.

In a related development, Resident Judge of Criminal Court  ‘D’ in Monrovia, Judge Memesi Jarbateh Sirleaf, expressed concerns about ethical improprieties among her colleagues, accusing them of engaging in actions that undermine access to justice and ethical standards in the judiciary.

Judge Sirleaf said ethical impropriety, which is prevalent in the judicial sector of the country, is undermining access to justice. She highlighted instances of what she described as ‘legal remedy’ and unfair penalties being imposed against defendants, leading to a manipulation of the justice system and a lack of public trust in the Court’s integrity.

Legal remedy, also referred to as judicial relief or a judicial remedy, is the means by which a court of law, usually in the exercise of civil law jurisdiction, enforces a right, imposes a penalty, or makes another court order to impose its will in order to compensate for the harm of a wrongful act inflicted upon an individual.

She adds that judges are imposing unfair penalties against defendants, which is also undermining ethical standards.

“This act must stop if we want to maintain the public’s trust in the Court’s integrity,” Judge Sirleaf told her audience including judges, lawyers, party litigants, and judicial staff.

Judge Sirleaf made the revelation when she delivered a charge on Monday, August 12, at the opening of Criminal Courts A, B, C, D, and E.

According to her, judges are using influence to impose punishment against perpetrators just to find them guilty. “Your behaviors are manipulating our justice system and you should desist from these violations,” the judge warned.

More than any other branch of government, the judiciary is built on a foundation of public faith — judges do not command armies or police forces, they do not have the power of the purse to fund initiatives and they do not pass legislation.  Instead, they make rulings on the law. Rulings that the people must believe came from competent, lawful, and independent judicial officers.

There is a judicial Code of Conduct, which includes five ethical canons, that sets forth ethical standards for judges to uphold the independence and integrity of the judiciary, encompassing issues such as recusal, judicial integrity, impartiality, and extra-judicial activities, along with financial disclosures to prevent conflicts of interest.

Meanwhile, Judge Sirleaf’s remarks emphasize the importance of maintaining public confidence in the judiciary by ensuring fair and lawful rulings from competent and independent judicial officers.