AFELL Wants More Females On Supreme Court’s Bench -Calls Boakai’s Attention To Woman Chief Justice

By Precious D. Freeman
At the opening of the Liberia National Bar Association’s (LNBA) 2025 General Assembly, Montserrado County Senator Abe Darius Dillon delivered a scathing critique of Liberia’s justice system, accusing it of perpetuating impunity and shielding the powerful while punishing the powerless.
Dillon expressed what he described as a “broken justice system,” one that appears, in his words, “to punish the sheep and protect the wolves.”
“When it comes to the fight against corruption and accountability,” Dillon said, “it sometimes seems as though the very people mandated to deliver justice are themselves avoiding it. The system has become disassembled. The messengers of justice seem afraid or unwilling to deliver the message.”
He questioned the selective application of justice, emphasizing that ordinary citizens are often swiftly prosecuted, while those with power or connections remain untouched.
“Who must bring people to court?” he asked. “And when they are brought, who must muster the courage to punish wrongdoing? Until we answer those questions honestly, justice will remain out of reach for the average Liberian.”
Dillon didn’t stop there. He turned his focus to a specific legal loophole he believes is contributing to Liberia’s culture of impunity: the statute of limitations on non-capital offenses, particularly corruption.
“In this country, if someone commits a corrupt act; embezzles, mismanages, or abuses public trust and five years pass without prosecution, they walk free. All the evidence in the world won’t matter. The law says: it’s too late,” he explained.
Calling the current five-year statute “a legal shield for the corrupt,” Dillon revealed that he has proposed legislation to extend the timeframe for prosecution from five to fifteen years.
“Corruption doesn’t disappear with time,” he argued. “It gets buried, protected, or forgotten. But justice delayed should not mean justice denied.”
The senator also took aim at nepotism and favoritism within both the public and private sectors. “When appointments and investigations are based on family ties instead of merit or evidence, we are nurturing a culture of corruption,” he warned.
In a direct appeal to his audience, Dillon called on the legal community to support reforms and resist complicity.
“Distinguished guests, lawyers, and members of the judiciary, the nation is watching us. We must not allow ourselves to be tools of the corrupt. We must become champions of accountability.”
Dillon’s remarks echoed those of keynote speaker Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine and LNBA president Bonor Varmah, both of whom emphasized integrity and reform in the legal sector.
As Liberia continues to wrestle with questions of justice and transparency, Dillon’s speech added urgency to the national conversation.
“Justice must not be ornamental,” he concluded. “It must be real, fearless, and available to all especially the powerless.”
The senator’s proposed legislation on extending the statute of limitations is expected to be tabled during the current legislative session, and it may become a focal point for anti-corruption advocates in the coming months.