As the Judiciary Branch of Government continues to suffer deplorable courthouses across the country, the Owen Groove Magisterial Court in District# 1 Grand Bassa County is one of the courts being paralyzed in the country.
A Liberian journalist, Garmah Lomo who visited the court recently disclosed that there is no Bailiff, no Clerk neither type of writer, vehicle, or stationaries at the Owen Groove Magisterial Court in Grand Bassa County something that is said to be hampering the dispensation of justice in the county.
Naming the constraints faced by the Magisterial Courts, the Magistrate at the Edina Magisterial Court, Abraham R. Mitchell who is also the Spokesman for the National Trial Judges Association of Liberia disclosed that his court does not have a police station around the place where they can hope on whenever there is violence.
He made the disclosure when he responded to the Judge’s Charge in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County recently.
Magistrate Mitchell disclosed that the condition at the court is appalling with no security as the country is again in another critical time with pending elections. “I and my one bailiff ran out of my court when some citizens who were aggrieved came at the court with knives and scissors on their sides to harm us and to call backup from Buchanan, it is challenging due to bad road conditions,” Magistrate Mitchell lamented.
He furthered, “I’m worried now about how to handle election cases when they come before me with the lack of security, to protect the court.”
According to the journalist’s account, structures in which the courts are operating do not represent the Judiciary but Magistrate Mitchell added that in the midst of these constraints, “We are doing our jobs as Magistrates.”
Meanwhile, Magistrate Mitchell is appealing to the county authorities to assist in whatever ways since the Judiciary has been playing deaf ears to their complaints. Magistrate Mitchell disclosed that though he has written reports on the numerous challenges faced by the courts to the National Trial Judges Association and onward the Judiciary nothing has been done to remedy the situation at the various Magisterial Courts in Grand Bassa County.
It is also reported that Kilipo Magisterial Court in RiverGee County is operating from the Magistrate’s living room. This points to the numerous challenges within the judicial system of the country which needs urgent attention as cases emanating from elections will be heard in some of these courts.
The situation facing the Magisterial Court in Owens Grove needs to be given urgent attention.
Owens Grove is in District #1, the first major town/city when entering the southern county of Grand Bassa when leaving the nation’s capital, Monrovia.
Although the Judiciary branch of government has made some strides to improve courts around the country, more work is yet to be done to improve many others, including the Owens Groove magisterial court, both infrastructurally and otherwise.
Similar conditions reportedly exist in other counties. For example, the Kilipo Magisterial Court in River Gee County operates from the private living room of a magistrate.
This court is being paralyzed with the absence of a Bailiff. Neither does this court have a clerk nor typewriters for any staffer to prepare documents nor vehicle, motorbike, and stationaries, said Magistrate Abraham R. Mitchell.
Citing the constraints faced by the magisterial courts, the Edina Magistrate, who is the spokesman for the National Trial Judges Association, said his court doesn’t have any police station nearby that they can intervene in whenever there is a violent situation.
Magistrate Mitchell made the revelation when he responded to the Judge’s Charge during the opening of the August term of the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Bassa County’s capital, Buchanan early this week.
Magistrate Mitchell spoke of the appalling condition under which the Edina court was operating, with no security, especially when Liberia is in a very tense electoral process.
“I and my one bailiff ran out of my court when some citizens who were aggrieved came at the court with knives and scissors on their sides to harm us and to call backup from Buchanan, it is challenging due to bad road conditions.
“I’m worried now how to handle election cases when it comes before with the lack of security,” Magistrate Mitchell stated.
He told the audience that the structures rural courts are operating from don’t represent the Judiciary, but in the midst of those constraints, he said magistrates are doing their jobs.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Mitchell has appealed to the authorities of Grand Bassa County to assist in whatever ways to address some of the challenges, even though he has written reports on their numerous challenges to the National Trial Judges Association and onward to the Judiciary.
