It is becoming clearer that the cries and pleas of Liberians and international stakeholders to the authority of the country's justice system are making some impact and bearing fruits. For a quite while now, national and international evaluation reports on the justice system over the years have printed grim picture of the system largely due to the lukewarm attitude of those superintending this highly important branch of Government. Even when President Sirleaf recently named two justices of the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, many had thought the reconstitution of the human resources would hardly make a difference. But it seems, surprisingly, some difference is being made, as The Analyst reports
The Judiciary has suspended two employees, a clerk and a bailiff, for jointly engaging in the alleged act of soliciting bribe. The two employees, Mr. Wellington Jah, Clerk of the Juvenile Court of Montserrado County, and Ms. Petrina E. Macbean, bailiff of the same court, were on Tuesday suspended on order of His Honour Francis S. Korkpor, Sr., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and forwarded to the County Attorney's office for prosecution.
The employees allegedly solicited bond fees and signature fees to award custody of a juvenile offender of the law to his parent, an act that required no bond fees. They issued no receipt for the money collected, neither was the amount deposited in any bank. They have since admitted the act.
In taking the decision to suspend and forward the two employees for prosecution, the Chief Justice said that "in this new dispensation of justice, there is no room for demanding fees for one to do his/her job."
The law regarding taking custody of a juvenile offender is that the juvenile may be released to "his parent or other responsible person upon the written promise, without security, signed by such person, that he will produce the juvenile before the court having jurisdiction of the matter at a stated time specified in the writing or at such time as such court may direct."-LCL Vol. IV, tit 17, Cpt 10§11.41(b). No fee is required for such act.
It can be recalled the Supreme Court of Liberia during the close of its October, 2012 Term of court suspended a lawyer, two judges, and a magistrate for unprofessional, unethical, and general acts of corruption.
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Thanks Chief Justice Korkpor. I hope you will not only target the low hanging fruits of the judiciary. Judges, lawyers, police, security people, and prosecutors are all involve in judicial malpractice in Liberia which only award justice to those who have, and the have not are either send to prison or left in the cold.
Let objectivity play a key role in our comments. Cllr. Marcus Jones was barred from practice for 5 years - do you consider him as a low level judicial staff? Isn't it evident that the prosecution commenced with one of the judiciary's high ranking judges? Please, let's commend/applaud minute efforts made by people to effect a change. This will empower and motivate them to do more and even, than anticipated.