Over House ‘Disobedience’ To Supreme Court

-Judges To Stage Protest On September 3

By R. Joyclyn Wea

Due to the alleged disobedience action by members of the House of Representatives to appear before the full bench of the Supreme Court of Liberia, about twenty judges have threatened to boycott activities beginning September 3, this year.

The Supreme Court through its Justice in chamber Sie-A-Nyene G. Youh recently placed a stay order on the House of Representatives to stop all its impeachment proceeding against Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh pending hearing into the ongoing impeachment crisis

The House of Representatives through it Speaker Bhofal Chambers was allegedly called upon twice to appear before her honor, Justice in Chambers Sie-A-Nyene G. Youh to desist from any impeachment proceeding against Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh, pending the outcome of the justice’s complaint of constitutional violation by the full bench of the Supreme Court but the House failed to honor said communication from the Honorable Supreme Court.

Members of the house were also cited to a hearing on the matter at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, August 22, but refused to appear, instead, in a written communication to the court, Speaker Chambers told the court to vacate the purported stay order and avoid embarrassment.

Speaking with Judicial Reporters on Monday, August 27,2018, one of Liberia’s renowned Lawyers Cllr. Arthur Johnson disclosed that about twenty judges have resolved to boycott court for one week due to the alleged disobedience decision by the House of Representatives to appear before the full bench to answer to complaint before it.

Cllr. Johnson further indicated that their plan for protest is against the backdrop that the lawmakers; disregard the court’s order is an act that is not only inimical to rule of law but also completely at odds with the constitutional rights.

Cllr. Arthur Johnson who is also one of the lawyers representing the interest of Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh has expressed his deepest grievance over the way the House of Representatives is taking the issue by proceeding under wrong rule.

Counselor Johnson however, clarified that the protest not about the political interest of anyone, rather about justice and defending the rule of law.

He explained that this is the first time since 1980 that the impeachment proceeding is coming to being and that the Associate Justice impeachment has no due process of law saying “Justice Ja’neh was never heard.”

Cllr. Johnson “This is paying back time, this is no honorable act by the House of Representatives, this is the honorable House of Representative at the lowest level.”