With The 15th Judicial Circuit Court Judge
The assigned Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court in River Gee County Wesseh A. Wesseh has vowed to punish Judge Nelson Chinneh of Civil Law Court “B” (who has equal jurisdiction like him), if he fails anymore to attend the opening of the court, as Garmah Never Lomo reports.
Meanwhile, at the opening of May A.D. 2023 term of court on Monday May 8,2023, Judge Wesseh fined Judge Chinneh and several other lawyers, including the controversial former Solicitor General at the Ministry of Justice to pay US$50 each.
Judge Wesseh A. Wesseh
Currently, Judge Chinneh is the assigned presiding judge at the Civil court “B” While Judge Wesseh is a relieving judge.
“All River Gee County Bar lawyers have been fine US$ For not attending court opening today” Judge added.
“They are ordered to pay the amount into the Judiciary accounts in 72 hours and submit the payment receipt to the office of the Court Administrator at the Temple of Justice”. Other actions await anyone one who fails to comply.
According to Judge Wesseh, his action is part of rebranding of the Judiciary in line with the Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh.
“We justice actors, should by now be aware of the vision of the Chief Justice, Her Honor SIE-A- NYENE G. YUOH, CHIEF JUSTICE of the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia aim at “transforming and rebranding” the image of the Judiciary Branch,” Judge Wesseh said.
As you may also be aware, since she assumed the mantle of authority, as Chief Administrator of the Judiciary, she has made know her desire to transform and rebrand the image of the judiciary, which over the years was eroded by public perceptions that the Judicial was imbued in corruption, infrastructures deficit, administrative ineptitude and inexperience courts’ staff, among others.
Lawyers who were fined are Cllr. Dempster Brown, Cllr. Jerome N. Verdier, Cllr. Saymah Syrenius Cephas, Cllr. Negbalee Warner, Cllr. James J. Verdier, Cllr. Nelson Chinneh, Cllr. Dennis S. Sokan, Cllr. Isaac C. George Jr., Cllr. T. Joseph Debleh, Cllr. Rodney Kouo, Cllr. Rosette N. Baikpah, Cllr. Abel Knight, Cllr. Charles Harris, Atty. Jeffrey T. George, Atty. Oretha G. Dioh, Atty. Kumkumyoung Wleh Teh and Atty. Andrew B. Jay.
According to Judge Wesseh, the lawyers allegedly committed civil contempt.
“Civil contempt occurs when the contemnor willfully disobeys a court order. This is also called indirect contempt because it occurs outside the judge’s immediate realm, and evidence must be presented to the judge to prove the contempt. A civil contemnor, too, may be fined, jailed, or both. The fine or jailing is meant to coerce the contemnor into obeying the court, not to punish him, and the contemnor will be released from jail just as soon as he complies with the court order. In family law, civil contempt is one way a court enforces alimony, child support, custody, and visitation orders which have been violated.”
However, many courts have realized that, at least regarding various procedural matters such as the appointment of counsel, the distinction between civil and criminal contempt is often blurred and uncertain.