Published: June 30, 2025
MONROVIA -President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has nominated Associate Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay as the next Chief Justice of the Republic of Liberia, following the statutory retirement of Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, who turned 70 last week--the mandatory retirement age for Justices under Article 72(b) of the 1986 Constitution.
The Executive Mansion, in a statement Monday, described the nomination as an embodiment of continuity and integrity in Liberia's highest court. The nomination now awaits confirmation by the Liberian Senate.
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Justice Gbeisay, 66, was hailed by President Boakai as a "distinguished jurist" who "has demonstrated exemplary integrity, profound legal acumen, and commitment to upholding the rule of law and the Constitution." If confirmed, his elevation would crown a long public and private legal career that began in education and spanned foreign affairs, labor, elections, and the judiciary.
From Ganta to the Bench
Born on May 3, 1959, in Ganta City, Nimba County, Justice Gbeisay earned his high school diploma in Sanniquellie in 1979 and later obtained a "B" certificate in Language Arts and Social Studies from the Kakata Rural Teacher's Training Institute. He holds a BA in History and Public Administration from the University of Liberia and earned his LLB from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law in 1998. He became a Supreme Court Bar Counsellor in 2002.
Gbeisay's public service includes roles as Legal Counsel for the Ministry of Labor and the National Elections Commission, Director at NASSCORP, and Legal Consultant at the Ministry of Justice. He transitioned to being a relieving judge in 2015 and became Associate Justice in October 2022.
Praise and Skepticism
While the Boakai administration lauds the nomination as a continuation of judicial excellence, critics are less enthusiastic. A veteran Liberian lawyer told The Liberian Investigator that the flurry of Supreme Court appointments, three within Boakai's first two years, raises red flags about growing executive influence on the judiciary.
"These appointments are meant for the Executive to have control on the bench," the veteran lawyer said. "Yarmie has experience as a Justice, but he's not firm on decisions. His recent dissent in the Capitol Hill case is proof that his independence may be questionable."
That dissent refers to Gbeisay's lone opposition in the Supreme Court's unanimous December 6, 2024, ruling, which declared actions by the Richard Koon-led majority bloc in the House as unconstitutional. Gbeisay later dissented when the now-resigned Speaker J. Fonati Koffa sought clarification through a Bill of Information.
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The lawyer also suggested that Gbeisay's Nimba roots could serve as a political calculation by the Executive: "His Nimba connection could make him more favorable to the current administration's agenda."
Faika Tipped to Join the Bench as Associate Justice
Simultaneously, The Liberian Investigator has learned that Resident Judge Ousman Faika of Grand Cape Mount is expected to be nominated as Associate Justice to replace Gbeisay on the Bench. Faika, who currently serves as Vice President of the National Trial Judges Association, is regarded as a brilliant and astute jurist.
His likely elevation has drawn mixed reactions as well. "It's a good sign for the judiciary that judges are being elevated from within, rather than pulling in outsiders," said the legal analyst. "However, the moment such appointments become too politically aligned, those same strengths can become vulnerabilities."
Faika's potential appointment would alter both the gender and regional dynamics of the Court. With Chief Justice Yuoh, Justice Jamesetta HowardWolokollie and Justice Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson, previously anchoring a female-majority Bench, the new configuration would see a return to male dominance. It also ends the previous Southeast-heavy composition--two justices from Maryland and one from Rivercess/Grand Gedeh--with Nimba now reoccupying the Chief Justice position within a relatively short time.
"Under two years, President Boakai has made three Supreme Court appointments," the legal expert noted.
