Liberia’s Chief Justice, Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, has blasted lawyers and threatened to fine Justices, judges, and magistrates who deliberately refused to attend the annual Law Day celebration in Monrovia, terming their actions as disrespectful to the rule of law.
The National Law Day is celebrated every year, May 3, and is aimed at celebrating the rule of law in the society, as well as cultivating a deeper understanding of the legal profession.
The celebration was held Friday, May 3, 2024 at the Paynesville Town Hall, consistent with the Liberia National Bar Association Constitution, and held under the theme: ‘The mechanism leading to the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court’.
Delivering a special statement on behalf of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Chief Justice Yuoh said, based on the mandate of the Bar’s president and national council, she issued an order that all courts be closed on May 3, 2024 as a precedence in observance of the day.
According to the Chief Justice, despite the decision to close all courts in observance of the day, Justices, judges, magistrates, and lawyers were in low attendance at the occasion; this she termed as disobedience to the rule of law.
She further expressed that she will tax judges and magistrates to pay for boycotting the celebration of the day, noting, “For those of you who said I have no authority in championing this cause, let me just remind you that the Chief Justice is the administrative head of the Judiciary.”
The observance of Law Day started in 1957 by the American Bar Association, and US President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, declared Law Day a National Day of Commitment, as principles of government under the rule of law.
