By Grace Q. Bryant
The President of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA), Sylvester Rennie, is calling on the Legislature to involve the bar in appointing Chief and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court.
According to him, they are aware of the constitutional rights of the President of Liberia to appoint whoever he feels fit but the Bar’s involvement will demonstrate its concrete relationship with the Supreme Court as an arm of the high court.
He stressed that while the Bar does not question qualifications, capabilities and abilities of lawyers who were appointed in to occupy positions in the Judiciary as well as the recent nominations made by the President to the Supreme Court, it is just prudent to have the Bar guide such process so as to conform the practice and maintain the strong ties with the Judiciary, the Executive and by extension the Legislature.
He noted that the Bar in the past worked with the Judiciary to ensure that vacancies that exist for Judicial positions included the its participation through a vetting process conducted by the Judiciary committee of the LNBA.
‘’This practice has been downplayed. The last time the Bar ever participated in a vetting process was when her honor Comfort Natt retired as Labour Court Judge; the bar was informed and a vetting process was conducted by its Judiciary committee and a list of vetted lawyers was sent to the Chief Justice office for submission to the President,’’ he added.
He noted that the objectives of the LNBA were outlined which include inter alia to promote the sciences of jurisprudence, advance the cause of the legal education and help maintain the independence of the Judiciary as well as to assist in the selection of those to be appointed as judges among others.
‘’ By virtue of the services rendered by you, your predecessors and others judges to be retired, the Bar strongly believes that a comprehensive package should be put in place so as to enable all of you to spent your retirement with dignity to avoid the filling of remedial writs before the court for the payment of your benefits,’’ he explained.
According to him, the government of Liberia should ensure that retire officials of the judiciary are paid their benefits on time.
The Dean of Law School, Jallah Barbu, said despite of his busy schedule at the helm of the Liberian Judiciary where he performed both judicial and administrative duties, Korkpor accepted to teach pro bono at the Law school.
‘’ We as lawyers are greatly indebted to professor Korkpor and are convinced that he is only retiring from the active duties of Chief Justice of the Supreme court,’’ he expressed
He added that professor Korkpor in his humility and respect for the rule of law, has observed and upheld all the law school policies and requirement regarding attendance and timely submission of grades.
‘’ As a testimony of his adherence to the policies and rules of the school, he has always been and remains in the top 10-20% of professor submitting grades in time,’’ Dean Barbu recounts.
He maintained that Korkpor is not tired teaching the children and future jurists and lawyers of Liberia while at the same time, helping the younger professor to lift the law school to heights unknown.
