By S. Siapha Mulbah
The Liberia Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (LICHRD), has engaged in flexing legal muscle with the legal offices of President Joseph Boakai.
LICHRD filed for a Writ of Prohibition against the executive branch involvement into the mediation of the internal dispute among the commissioners at the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR).
On Monday July 8, 2024 the Coalition through its legal interest filed for a petition for a “Writ of Prohibition” before Chamber Justice Yusuf Kaba at the supreme court of Liberia to have the office of the legal advisor to the president prevented from continuing its interruption into the dispute among the commissioner at INCHR on account of doing mediation.
LICHRD as the petitioner in the legal action prayed the high court to prohibit and restrain the Special Investigate Committee of the president legal office as the respondent from conducting administrative hearing into the disagreement among members of the INCHR board of commissioners with as justification that any remedy from government will contravene the entity standard operating procedure.
In the petition, LICHRD stated that Article XX (2) of the act that established the commission clearly explained that no organ of state or employee of a state organ should get involved into matters of disagreement among commissioners at said independent party.
The petition stated that the coalition has communicated with the respondent to have them put a halt to the executive mediation plan and allow civil society and independent bodies play their role but there has been no indication that the legal office of the President is willing to let go the matter which resulted to the filing of the legal action against the respondent.
According to the national chairperson for the Liberia Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, Neidoteh Boye Torbor, the action of the executive undermines independence at the Commission and will be an impediment to the role played by the civil society groupings that have started working overtime to resolve the matter.
Torbor said the basic guideline of the Commission which is the SOP and the act that created the entity called for the maintenance of strong independence that is why no arm of government should get involved when there are crisis among the board members.
According to the human rights group, it is the role of civil society to find a holistic approach; which all the Commissioners at INCHR and different eminent and civil society groups have already started.
He explained that the last months have concluded series of conversations among the commission board members and civil society stakeholders to bring an end to the conflict but the executive investigation and other hearings continues to pose threat to the efforts exhorted.
“In a country of law we have to respect legal system that is why we are at the Supreme Court to restrain and prohibit the President’s legal office from the matter at the human rights commission. LICHRD as a civil society organization that has the power under the commission’s SOP is already at the verge of settling the disagreement among the commissioners,” LICHRD’s Chairman added.
While awaiting the high court subsequent intervention from the recently file writ of prohibition, the conglomeration of civil society actors also called on government to work in accordance with the rules and regulation of independent anti-graft entities and avoid interfering with their operation.
