Monrovia – The Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) has called for a comprehensive, evidence-based national dialogue on the future of the country’s jury system, while unequivocally condemning a rising wave of jury tampering that threatens the integrity of the judiciary. Delivering the Bar’s formal response to the Chief Justice’s address opening the October A.D. 2026 Term of the Supreme Court, LNBA President Cllr. F. Juah Lawson emphasized that the administration of justice is a shared responsibility between the Bench and the Bar.
Speaking before a distinguished audience that included President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr., and members of the Legislature, Cllr. Lawson welcomed the Chief Justice’s invitation for closer collaboration but pushed back against an immediate abolition of the trial jury system. While accepting the invitation to examine the proposal, the LNBA President stressed that the Bar’s participation should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of abolition, noting that trial by jury occupies an important place in Liberia’s constitutional framework.
The LNBA’s response highlighted the troubling pattern of jury tampering outlined in the Chief Justice’s address, describing it as an issue requiring “the most careful national attention.” The Bar condemned the bribery, threatening, or improper influencing of jurors, warning that anyone who corrupts a juror strikes directly at the heart of the justice system. Cllr. Lawson argued that before the nation contemplates abandoning the institution of trial by jury, it must first examine why it is failing in specific instances, looking at juror selection, security, compensation, and the prosecution of those responsible for tampering.
On the issue of timely justice, the Bar commended the Supreme Court for hearing and deciding ninety cases during the March Term but acknowledged the Court’s concern over cases lingering on the docket for more than a decade. Cllr. Lawson accepted the Bar’s share of responsibility, stating that lawyers must diligently prosecute cases and avoid unnecessary delays, frivolous applications, and the abandonment of cases. She emphasized that while justice must be deliberate, it must also be timely, requiring diligence from all actors in the justice sector.
The LNBA also raised deep concerns regarding judicial security and the enforcement of court judgments. The Bar unequivocally condemned reported threats against the Chief Justice and his family, as well as the obstruction of court judgments and the use of ethnic sentiment to interfere with justice. Cllr. Lawson called upon authorities to investigate these threats and ensure the lawful enforcement of judgments, stressing that judicial independence requires judges to discharge their duties safely and without fear or improper pressure.
Turning to professional accountability, the LNBA renewed its commitment to ethical standards and the diligent prosecution of cases. Cllr. Lawson noted that a lawyer’s independence does not excuse professional misconduct, just as the public deserves judges who are independent, impartial, and accountable. She argued that a strong Judiciary requires a strong Bar, and a strong Bar requires a strong, independent Judiciary, emphasizing that neither institution can fulfill its constitutional responsibility without the other.
The Bar welcomed progress on reforming the legal profession, including the revised Rules Governing the Practice of Law and the restructuring of the Supreme Court Bar Examination Committees. However, Cllr. Lawson encouraged continued meaningful consultation between the Court and the Bar before finalizing major regulatory measures. She also echoed the call to restore the “human face” of the legal profession, advocating for strengthened legal aid and pro bono services to ensure that poverty or geography does not determine a Liberian’s access to justice.
In her concluding remarks, Cllr. Lawson stated that the relationship between the Bench and Bar must not be measured by agreement alone, but by mutual respect and fidelity to the Constitution. She affirmed the LNBA’s commitment to working with the Supreme Court to confront corruption, modernize the administration of justice, and expand access to justice. “May the words inscribed in this Temple of Justice, ‘Let Justice Be Done to All’, become more than an inscription,” she urged, calling for it to remain a living promise to every Liberian.
EcowasNewsOnline.com
