Stresses Need For Collaboration To Uphold Media And Judicial Independence At The International Judges Conference
PHOTO: Journalist Frank Sainworla, Jr. addressing the meeting
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia, Liberia- “It must be noted here that independence cannot come on a “silver platter” and even if it’s guaranteed by provisions in the constitution, it must be jealously guarded,” www.newspublictrust.com Managing Editor, Frank Sainworla, Jr. said in his presentation at the week-long African Regional Group meeting of the international Association of Judges conference on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
Mr. Sainworla, who previously served as Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) during the Charles Taylor regime and later Manager of the Catholic owned Radio Veritas in Monrovia, presented on the Topic: “The Role of the Media in Enhancing Judicial Independence”.
He stated that the Journalists and the Jurists must be prepared to assert themselves, in order to uphold their independence.
“One way to do this is by putting in place strong self-regulation regimes so that violators of professional standards and practices can be dealt with and reprimanded, including naming and shaming,” the respected Liberian Journalist suggested.
Mr. Sainworla furthered: “By doing so, detractors of media and judicial independence will be kept on the defensive and a shield will be built to deter actions bent on undermining the independence of the media and Judiciary.”
The one-time head of the English Desk of the Dakar-based West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR), also said in order to bolster independence; Journalists and Jurists must do the following:
- Public reprimand needed for both Journalists and Judges who go wayward and bridge professional standards and ethics, for doing so is the breach of public trust.
- Public recognitionis as equally important when performance is exceptional. However, if it doesn’t come when we think it should come, we must carry on with our good works with the same level of integrity, passion, professionalism and patriotism.
- Uphold Integrity– doing what is right even if people are not looking at you—both in the darkness when eyes are not on you and in the public glare
- Good pay and conditions are very important to increasing independence, but personal immoral characters, dishonesty and greed can be counter productive
According to Journalist Sainworla, in Liberia major threats to the survival of the independent Journalism is the increasing political ownership of radio and other media, “cash violence”, weaponizing the press by politicians and other powerful interests as well as undercapitalization of the media, many media experts say.
The Public Trust Media Group (PTMG) head added that Liberian laws and judicial system are patterned after the US. And in many cases, opinions reached by US Supreme Court are used as precedence where none exists in Liberia jurisprudence.
According to him, governments past and present in Liberia would profess to pronounce to be in favor of independence of the Judiciary by allowing courts (including the Supreme Court) to go on with freely trying cases and hand down rulings.
But he said they tend to later intentionally refuse to enforce/implement courts’ rulings or judgments, thus stifling justice for the party litigant the judgment is in favour of.
Journalist Sainworla then explained: “Under the doctrine of the separation of powers with the three, equal and coordinated branches of government in Liberia’s Republican Democracy which the Judiciary is an integral part, the Executive branch of government (headed by the President) is responsible to enforce judgments of the courts.”