INCHR Boss Warns Of Justice Crisis …Accuses Chief Justice Of Withdrawing Public Defenders

By Grace Bryant Mollay
The Chairperson of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), Dempster Browne, has raised concerns about what he described as a growing crisis in Liberia’s justice system.
Among his concerns is an allegation that that Chief Justice Sie-A-NyeneYuoh has ordered the withdrawal of public defenders from various counties across the country.
Speaking during a recent public engagement, Cllr. Browne criticized the Supreme Court’s decision, which he said has left citizens in rural areas without access to legal representation.
“We have a problem with the Supreme Court. Today, no justice is available in many parts of this country,” he declared.
Browne accused the Chief Justice of directing magistrates to prevent non-lawyers including those previously serving as city solicitors from practicing law, even in places where qualified lawyers are unavailable.
“Chief Justice withdrew all of the public defenders in the counties. City solicitors are not practicing again,” he said.
He explained that in the past, due to the shortage of licensed lawyers willing to work in remote areas for minimal pay, retired police officers were used as city solicitors. “A law graduate cannot make US$200 and go way in the bush,” he said.
Cllr Browne pointed out that while he does not endorse an informal or apprenticeship-based justice system, the previous approach helped ensure access to justice in underserved communities.
Browne referenced a recent situation in Lofa County where, due to the lack of a public defender or city solicitor, a case involving the attempted killing of an elderly woman nearly went unresolved.
“The magistrate told me the matter could not proceed because there was no public defender,” Browne said.
He added that even the Solicitor General has acknowledged the problem.
“I called the Solicitor General last week. He said yes, it is true. I said, “but what are you doing about it?” Browne recounted.
The INCHR boss also cited a recent incident where a man was beaten to death with wooden planks.
He used the case as a reminder of the dangers of a justice system that fails to function at the grassroots level. “A gentleman was killed. They used two-by-two planks, beat the man and bust his head,” he said.
Browne urged Liberians not to remain silent in the face of growing injustice. “We will speak. And we should not be afraid. We will speak. God is protecting us. But if we do bad things, God will move from behind us,” he warned.