By R Joyclyn Wea
Government lawyers have pleaded with the Supreme Court of Liberia to delay their case involving Attorney Isaac Jackson, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) seeking to prevent President George Weah’s appointment of Moses Brown to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, England.
This follows government’s lawyers failure to file their legal brief as was mandated by Associate Justice Jamesetta Wolokollie on July 27, 2018 notice of assignment.
Cllr. Daku Mulbah, lead government’s lawyer told the court Monday that their failure to file the legal brief was due to other engagements to the high court claiming that their application was in good faith and intended to delay the proceeding.
Pleading on behalf of government, Cllr. Mulbah’s application was granted by Chief Justice Francis Korkpor pending notice of assignment after Atty. Isaac Jackson’s lawyer Cllr. Arthur Johnson did not interpose objections.
The petitioner lawyer is seeking to prevent George Weah’s nomination of Moses Browne to the IMO in England on grounds that his client (Isaac Jackson) position is five years tenure in keeping with law.
It can be recalled, Government of Liberia through President George Weah recalled Jackson as Liberia Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, England replacing him with Moses Owen Browne on grounds that Isaac Jackson is not equivalent to Deputy Commissioner and therefore does not serve a tenure position.
Recently, Justice in Chambers, Justice Wolokollie held conference with government’s counsel and lawyers representing the legal interest of Isaac Jackson Liberia’s Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, England and promised to get back to both parties in the ongoing legal proceedings.
This comes after President Weah nominated Moses Owen Browne replacing Atty. Isaac Jackson as Liberia’s Representative to the IMO in London, England, something which violates the IMO Act thus resulting to Atty. Jackson through his lawyer Arthur Johnson dragging government to court to seek redress in the matter at hand.
Following the conference, Associate Justice Wolokollie referred the matter to the full bench of the high court as she (Wolokollie) alone could not make determination into said matter.
Speaking with Judicial Reporters after the conference, Cllr. Arthur Johnson said they have shown that Isaac Jackson is equivalent to Deputy Commissioner of the IMO on grounds that he (Jackson) was appointed by the President of Liberia and that there is nowhere in the Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA) Act where someone who is not a Deputy Commissioner will be appointed by the President of Liberia.
To this, government’s counsel rejected and argued that because such is not spelt out in the Act as permanent Representative, means Jackson is not a commissioner.
Cllr. Johnson indicated that Jackson is a Deputy Commissioner and has tenure of five years, and also have a visa for five years and that organizational chat has placed Jackson at the top of all other deputy commissioners that report directly to the commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Authority.
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