The Judiciary Branch of Government has formally announced the retirement of Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor, Sr. from service at the Supreme Court of Liberia and as head of the Judiciary Branch of Government at the close of its March A.D. 2022 Term.
Article 72 (b) of the Liberian Constitution (1986) provides: “The Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts of record shall be retired at the age of 70; provided, however, that a Justice or judge who has attained that age may continue in office for as long as may be necessary to enable him to render judgment or perform any other judicial duty in regard to proceedings entertained by him before he attained that age.”
The Judiciary press release emphasizes that even though Chief Justice Korkpor shall have attained the retirement age of 70 on Monday September 5, 2022, he is required to continue in office until the end of the March A. D. 2022 Term of Court to enable him perform judicial responsibilities before him which he entertained prior to his 70th birthday as provided for by the Constitution of Liberia (1986).
Chief Justice Korkpor is expected to hand down opinions of the Supreme Court at the close of this term of Court.
The Judiciary family also expresses heartfelt appreciation to Cllr. Korkpor for his dedication, commitment and immeasurable service to the Judiciary Branch of Government in particular, and Liberia in general during his tenure on the Supreme Court Bench as Associate Justice and Chief Justice respectively.
The Sr. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie, on behalf of the Associate Justices, Judges and the entire Judiciary Branch of Government, wishes Chief Justice Korkpor, a very happy and blissful 70th Birthday and prays for God’s continuous blessings upon his life and future endeavors.
She intimated that an appropriate retirement program will be organized at the close of this Term of Court in honor of the outgoing Chief Justice.
Meanwhile, Associate Justice Sie-A-Nyene Youh who happens to be the third in the rank of the current Bench has been nominated by President George Weah to fill the vacancy ahead of Korkpor’s retirement.
