By Solomon T Gaye
The resident Judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court, Pape Suah, has frowned at judges’ misuse of 13.5 in dispensing justice.
Speaking at the opening of the November Term of Court in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, Judge Suah said 13.5 is not for money making and therefore judges should not use it to intimidate somebody who is seeking justice before the court by allowing them pay huge cash as bond fee for simple cases.
“The misused of 13.5 for the collection of bond fee by the lower court must stop now because if you are caught in the act, you will bear the full weight of the law,” Judge Suah warned.
Judge Suah further stated that the Nimba Bar Association always boycotts opening of court and if this continues, it will leave the court with no alternative but to impose fine on every practicing lawyer of the Bar.
“Stop using untrained and unlicensed lawyers to practice under a law firm or in any lower court of competence jurisdiction, ” Judge Suah further emphasized.
Speaking on behalf of the prosecutors, County Attorney John Miah, thanked Judge Suah for stressing the illegal use of 13.5 by some of the lower courts’ judges in the county.
According to the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia, 13.5 speaks of the release a defendant without bail. The law states:
“When from all the circumstances the court is of the opinion that the defendant will appear as required either before or after conviction without giving bail, he may be released without security upon such conditions as may be prescribed to insure his appearance. These conditions may include parole to the custody of a member of the family or other person exercising moral influence over the defendant, or the requirement that the defendant report periodically to a probation officer of the judicial circuit.”
“There are 49 cases on the court’s docket for this November Term and the accused are looking up to the court for fair trial and transparent justice therefore, they should stop using untrained and unlicensed lawyers to represent clients’ interest in court,” County attorney Miah stressed.
“Judge Suah, the issue of this 13.5 is a serious concern that undermines justice and will not be practiced anywhere in any of the lower courts in the county,” one of the magistrates reiterated.
