By Precious D. Freeman
The judicial staffers are calling on the Supreme Court of Liberia to account for its courts’ cost, fees, and other revenues collected during the period under review.
The employees accused the country’s highest court and the court administrator for failing to publish past revenues collected from each court throughout the country.
Some court staff have accused the Supreme Court of raising thousands of United States Dollars over the last three to four years for service deliverables purposes, but has deliberately refused to provide those services.
They are calling for a comprehensive audit of the monies, while others have welcomed the audit to establish whether the revenue collected over the years has not been accounted for by the Supreme Court, despite Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh’s commitment to ensuring a transparent and accountable judiciary under her rebranding process.
Many of them believe that over the years, those funds have been siphoned at the detriment of the suffering masses who have been left alone to fend for themselves, particularly in providing stationery, internet connectivity, and several other activities at making the job easier and efficient.
“We believe an audit will confirm or deny the concerns we have expressed over the years. We have stressed the need for an audit for the past years, especially beginning with the Francis Saye Korkpor’s Bench,” another person said.
“The administrative office of the court’s mismanagement and misplaced priorities have compromised the delivery of justice; it is imperative to improve accountability,” they argued.
“As lawmakers pushing for audit, we also want similar requests to be extended to the Judiciary because of our financially devastated trial courts, and it is imperative that the Legislature demand improved accountability and transparency to restore taxpayers’ trust in the Judicial branch and ensure the timely access to justice that is at the heart of all of us,” another employee noted.
They accused the Supreme Court of wasteful administrative spending and noncompliance behavior to the Judiciary Law.
According to some of them, the behavior is creating lengthy delays in accessing justice.
“There is no ink for the computer, no stationery. We have to provide them personally, while they are raising money throughout the country leaving us to personally finance everything; we need to move work further,” another person lamented
Article 13 of the Act establishing the Commercial Court provides that the Commercial Court shall be financed from annual financial appropriations for the Judiciary, and 25 percent of the filing fees paid for processes brought before the Commercial Court, and that the 25 percent filing fees required to be paid for the processes brought before the Commercial Court, as provided by the Act Establishing the Commercial Court, having been ordered deposited directly into a special account managed by the Judiciary Administration.
The workers’ calls are intended to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, and to hold accountable the Supreme Court for its failure to adhere with the November 9, 2017 Act that gives financial autonomy to the Judicial Branch of the Government.
The 1986 Constitution, specifically Article 75, vests in the Supreme Court of Liberia the authority and power to prescribe rules deemed by the Court as necessary to facilitate and properly discharge the functions of the courts in the Republic; and consistent with the said authority, section 21.3 of the New Judiciary Law vests in the Supreme Court the power of fiscal administration of all financial matters relating to the Judiciary.
Also, Section 21.6 gives the Supreme Court the authority to publish within three months, revenues raised from court cost, fees, and fines.
It states, “The Supreme Court is hereby empowered to fix from time to time by rules and regulations, all fees, costs, and per diem for clerks of courts in civil actions, magisterial courts, justice of the peace courts, allowance of costs to prevailing parties represented by counsel in civil actions, witness fees, marshal fees, sheriff fees, juror fees, and any other fees, costs, and per diem it deems proper and reasonable, taking into consideration the present circumstances of the country.
All such fees, costs, per diem shall be published by the Supreme Court and posted at each court in the Republic, the same to take effect and be applicable no sooner than a period of three months from the date of publication of the same.”
