Liberian News: America’s Chief Justice Strikes A Note
-On The Power Of The Supreme Court Concerning Its Rulings and Standings
Monrovia-Events within the Executive Branch of the United States government appear to have sort of similarity to what’s obtaining in Liberia’s Executive Branch of government as it relates to accepting, honoring and/or respecting rulings of their Supreme Courts.
Monrovia-Events within the Executive Branch of the United States government appear to have sort of similarity to what’s obtaining in Liberia’s Executive Branch of government as it relates to accepting, honoring and/or respecting rulings of their Supreme Courts.
Just as President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and his officials are accused of desecrating the Supreme Court of Liberia by ignoring its rulings in the Speaker J. Fonati Koffa’s Bill of Information so are President Donald Trump and officials facing barrage of accusations and condemnation for undermining the power, constitutional supremacy of the US Supreme Court as relates to the sweeping deportation of immigrants program.
These developments have drawn the attention of US Chief Justice John Roberts as he has defended independence judiciary, saying judges sometimes have to “check the excesses” of the president and Congress.
Legal minds have been saying similar thing of judges and justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, whose interpretation of the law, the constitutional in key legal matters are often met with resistance, just in the case of the latest ruling regarding the impasse at the House of Representatives.
Liberia’s governance system is tailored after that of the United States of America – constitutional form of government that allows for three different but coordinated branches.
At the 125th anniversary celebration of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York Wednesday, Chief Justice Roberts stressed the importance of an independent judiciary in remarks delivered at a time when Trump administration officials are frequently criticizing courts that have blocked their policies.
He said an independent judiciary is a key feature of the U.S. constitutional system that had not existed in other countries when it was founded.
“In our Constitution … the judiciary is a co-equal branch of government, separate from the others, with the authority to interpret the Constitution as law and strike down, obviously, acts of Congress or acts of the president,” he said.
“And that innovation doesn’t work if … the judiciary is not independent,” he added. “Its job is to, obviously, decide cases but, in the course of that, check the excesses of Congress or the executive, and that does require a degree of independence.”
Legal experts are drawing analogy between what is obtaining in the US jurisprudence to that of the Liberian jurisprudence.
Justice Roberts’ comments, according to experts, are meant to put on notice leaders and officials in their constant habit of ignoring and disrespecting rulings of the Court and also refresh their memories about the power of the Supreme Court in Constitutional matters, regardless where the pendulum swings.
The dust is yet to settle since the ruling of the Supreme Court of Liberia in the Bill of Information filled before it by the Minority Bloc in the House of Representative leadership impasse.
Liberians are divided on the issue, with some questioning the power of the Supreme Court to rule in a leadership squabble within another branch of government.
The Constitution declares that the Supreme Court is final arbiter of justice and that its rulings shall be final, but both legal and political experts have taken swipe at Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia.
The Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) which many say should be a stabilizing player in the matter pushed the button so hard in manner said to be outlandish.
The LNBA is divided in the scope of legal merit, logicality and precedence of the SC ruling, implicitly emboldening the Executive Branch and those who are politically leaned when it comes to the ruling.
In terms of division, Chief Justice Roberts and some Justices of the US Supreme Court are enduring the same pressure and bullying as the members of the Liberian Supreme Court.
Elements of the Trump administration and the President himself are
Calling for the impeachment of judges who have ruled against the administration.
The same is happening here in Liberia, as some members of the Majority Bloc and supporters,are talking about impeaching Supreme Court Justices for their ruling in the HOR leadership impasse.
He delivers rare rebuke to Trump after call to impeach judge, saying,
“Well, I’ve already spoken to that. You know, impeachment is not how you register disagreement with decisions.“
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