MONROVIA – President Joseph Boakai has nominated Affiliate Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay as Liberia’s subsequent Chief Justice, following the statutory retirement of Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh, who turned 70 final week.
By Selma Lomax | [email protected]
Underneath Article 72(b) of the 1986 Structure, justices are required to retire at that age. The nomination, introduced by the Government Mansion on Monday, is now pending affirmation by the Liberian Senate.
In a press release, the Government Mansion described Gbeisay as a “distinguished jurist” whose nomination displays “continuity and integrity in Liberia’s highest courtroom.” President Boakai praised the affiliate justice for his “exemplary integrity, profound authorized acumen, and dedication to upholding the rule of legislation and the Structure.”
In line with the President, Justice Gbeisay’s elevation is in line with the administration’s purpose to take care of stability and belief inside the judicial system.
Justice Gbeisay brings a protracted and numerous profession in legislation and public service. Born on Might 3, 1959, in Ganta Metropolis, Nimba County, he graduated from highschool in Sanniquellie in 1979. He went on to earn a “B” Certificates in Language Arts and Social Research from the Kakata Rural Trainer’s Coaching Institute.
He later obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Historical past and Public Administration from the College of Liberia, adopted by a legislation diploma (LLB) from the Louis Arthur Grimes College of Regulation in 1998. He turned a member of the Supreme Courtroom Bar in 2002.
Through the years, Justice Gbeisay served in a number of key public sector roles together with Authorized Counsel on the Ministry of Labor and the Nationwide Elections Fee, Director on the Nationwide Social Safety and Welfare Company (NASSCORP), and Authorized Guide on the Ministry of Justice. In 2015, he was appointed as a relieving decide and in the end rose to Affiliate Justice in October 2022.
Regardless of the accolades from the presidency, Justice Gbeisay’s nomination has drawn sharp criticism from some authorized specialists and political observers who worry the Government could also be in search of to tighten its grip over the judiciary.
A veteran Liberian lawyer instructed FrontPageAfrica that the frequency of Supreme Courtroom nominations — three appointments in below two years — is trigger for concern. “These appointments are meant for the Government to have management on the bench,” the lawyer argued. “Yarmie has expertise as a Justice, however he’s not agency on selections. His current dissent within the Capitol Hill case is proof that his independence could also be questionable.”
That case, selected December 6, 2024, noticed the Supreme Courtroom rule that the actions of the Richard Koon-led bloc within the Home of Representatives had been unconstitutional.
Justice Gbeisay was the lone dissenter when the now-resigned Speaker J. Fonati Koffa sought readability by way of a Invoice of Data. Critics of the nomination view this dissent not as proof of independence, however as a strategic alignment with the Government’s pursuits.
The identical lawyer pointed to Justice Gbeisay’s Nimba roots as a possible political calculation: “His Nimba connection might make him extra favorable to the present administration’s agenda.”
In the meantime, a number of sources have confirmed that Grand Cape Mount Resident Decide Ousman Faika is anticipated to be nominated as Gbeisay’s alternative as Affiliate Justice. Faika, at present the Vice President of the Nationwide Trial Judges Affiliation, is broadly revered in authorized circles for his sharp authorized thoughts and balanced jurisprudence.
Nevertheless, his anticipated appointment has additionally sparked dialog concerning the evolving composition of the Supreme Courtroom. One authorized analyst instructed FrontPageAfrica, “It’s a very good signal for the judiciary that judges are being elevated from inside, slightly than pulling in outsiders. Nevertheless, the second such appointments turn out to be too politically aligned, those self same strengths can turn out to be vulnerabilities.”
Ought to each nominations proceed, the present gender and regional stability on the Courtroom might be considerably altered. The departure of Chief Justice Yuoh —considered one of three feminine justices — alongside Justices Jamesetta Howard-Wolokollie and Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson, would mark a regression from a female-majority bench to a male-dominated one.
Furthermore, the earlier Southeast-heavy make-up, with justices from Maryland, Rivercess, and Grand Gedeh, will give approach to a extra diversified regional combine —bringing Nimba again into prominence on the helm of the judiciary.
The nomination has additionally stirred fierce debate on social media and amongst political circles. Randall Dobayou II, a rating member of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), didn’t mince phrases.
“The youngest and least skilled of all the justices, however JNB took him as a result of he was employed to offer a dissenting opinion on the Koffa case. Is that this too a rescue too? Wow,” Dobayou posted on Fb, suggesting the nomination is a political reward slightly than a merit-based choice.
In distinction, others have provided prayerful hope and encouragement. A Liberian citizen, Derrick Bedell, provided phrases of warning and non secular assist: “Your nomination by the President of Liberia doesn’t imply that it is best to give in to his will, since you’re gonna be there for the Liberian individuals’s curiosity, not a person. Please, please and please. Might God Almighty lead you, direct you and provide you with knowledge to work within the curiosity of the individuals and the nation in Jesus identify.”
Because the Senate prepares for affirmation hearings, Liberia finds itself at a crossroads. The end result will decide whether or not President Boakai’s judicial reshaping strengthens the rule of legislation—or undermines it. Whereas supporters argue that Justice Gbeisay has earned his place via years of devoted service, skeptics query whether or not current selections and political context trace at a extra calculated motive.
For now, the core query reverberating throughout political and authorized circles is that whether or not Justice Gbeisay’s nomination is the product of judicial benefit, or is it political payback wrapped in constitutional process?
