-Speaks at the Bar Convention in Nimba
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
SANNIQUELLIE, Liberia- The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Francis S. Korkpor has declared that peace, law and human rights are indispensable, noting that no society can survive without them.
Chief Justice Korkpor made the assertion when he delivered on a special topic: The role of the Judiciary in sustaining peace through respect for law and human rights at the annual convention of the Liberian National Bar Association in Sanniuellie City, Nimba County, northeastern Liberia.
The head of the Judiciary stressed that peace, law and human rights are indispensable and intangible, because, they are like Abstract Noun where they cannot be touched or seen but can be felt and they are very critical to any orderly societies.
Chief Justice Korkpor cited Article 11 (c) of the constitution which states: “All persons are equal before law and are therefore entitled to the equal protection of the law and the objective of Article 11 c is to ensure that the law is respected and even apply to all citizens and resident whether rich or poor, powerful or well- connected or not connected nor powerful. Therefore everyone should be in line with the law not above or below.”
Narrating, the Liberia’s judiciary head said Liberia has several human rights protocols such as Universal human rights declaration, International convention on human rights and the African chapter on human rights among others.
According to Chief Justice Korkpor, peace, law and human rights are like the air we breathe stressing how important air is like to the existence of human being adding when they are abundant we don’t know the important of it until when it is taken away from us that’s the time we can know the important of it.
He said we should not sit to wait until we are in the state of experiencing crisis before we realize how important or critical air is to live. So is the case with peace, law and human rights though they are intangible and indispensable, their presence is however, so critical to the survivor of society that we cannot afford to take chances with them.
The head of the country’s highest Court said that “if law, peace and human rights are absent, it affect everyone one of us, therefore, as people who schooled to the do and done in the society, we must always advocate and take a practical steps to ensure that law is respected.”
Chief Justice Korkpor also explained that the Judiciary plays a critical role in sustaining peace, law and human rights stating that the constitution of Liberia best reported that the Judiciary has the authority to apply both statutory and customary laws, according to standard enacted by the legislature in deciding cases.
Speaking further, Chief Justice Korkpor also said the constitution makes judgement of the Supreme Court parallel and banning on all parties and are not to be reviewed by any branch of government. And he said that the same constitution further makes the Supreme court the final abuttal and empowered the court as final appellant of jurisdiction whether emanating from source of court of record, administration, autonomous agencies both as a law and facts, except cases involving ambassador or cases the county is involved.
In such cases, the constitution directs that the Supreme Court exercise original jurisdiction.
The head of the Liberia Judiciary then called on every Liberian citizen to avoid violence and taking the laws into their own hands, but rather use other judicial/legal means to settle disputes.
For his part, the Chief of Party of the United States International Development Agency( USAID) legal professional development and Anti-corruption program( LPAC), John Furnari said continuing legal education (CLE) will continue under the leadership of the Bar President, Cllr. Gongloe.
According to him, there are many opportunities under this training program.
The USAID official said some of the opportunities include online, research and trafficking in person victims.
Lawyers from around Liberia over the weekend converged in Nimba County for their annual conference, which is hosted every November to discuss about the wellbeing of members of the LNBA and how can they improve on some challenges from confronting them as lawyers as well as the way forward.