PHOTO: The late Associate Justice Joseph N. Nagbe
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu, a senior Liberian Lawyer has openly told those bent on “spreading false information” about him lobbying for Supreme Court vacant post to desist from doing so.
Cllr. Barbu, who is Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, is said to be leading the list of potential nominees to replace Associate Justice Joseph N Nagbe who passed recently in Ghana. But, addressing a group of journalists at the Temple of Justice, Barbu said, late Nagbe was a good friend of him, and their relationship goes beyond lawyering.
Cllr. Jallah Barbu
He informed those he said were making up the story to desist from it, because for now he is mourning the death of Nagbe and not about replacing him.
“I am thinking about what they are saying. I’m thinking of the closer relationship we had. I have even written my tribute to be published in the newspaper. I am worrying about position right now.”
On the issue of replacing Nagbe, Cllr. Barbu said, if President Joseph Boakai finds him fit for the position and nominates him for it, he will accept the appointment.
“I will never do that (lobbying for a job.” Cllr. Barbu clarified “I will not solicit job anywhere. I will not do that. So that it.” He said, this was not the first time his name has appeared in the newspapers regarding him being nominated for a position. But, he has not been paying any attention to it.” He said he is prepared to serve any post within the Boakai’s presidency. “I can serve anywhere if the President nominates me, because I strongly believe that it can make me to contribute to my country and the government,” said Barbu.
Additionally, Barbu denied information circulating In the country accusing him of approaching Boakai for a job. :I have never approached President Boakai for a job, or for late Associate Justice Nagbe’s job,” he said. “I don’t know whether I will be nominated. Nobody has told me anything.
“He added that that it was some of his friends who read the newspapers and some who had listened to the radio gave him the news. “I have heard rumours, calls from people telling me that they saw my name in the newspaper and brought the information to me,” he added.
“I have been wondering what would people bring this to my attention. It is only the president can nominate who he prefer to appoint, Barbu said to his critics, making reference to anyone. Recentl, some membersofthe, the National Association of Trial Judges and Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh engaged each other regarding the chief justice support to lobby for only judges to be nominated to the Supreme Court in the case of vacancy The judges had written the chief justice to prevail on the president to only judges for the Supreme Court’s position.
The Judges have been demanding exclusive rights to Supreme Court Bench nominations. They express their desire to be considered for nomination to the high court Bench.
This comes as President Joseph Boakai prepares to nominate a replacement for the deceased Nagbe. The judges have been exploring every opportunity to have one of them occupy the post.
The National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia (NATJL) made their intentions clear when they, on Tuesday, February 13, attempted to involve Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh in their plans.
However, Justice Yuoh firmly and openly corrected the judges, terming their plans as circumventing the 1986 Constitution, which gives the President of the Republic of Liberia the exclusive authority to nominate a Supreme Court justice. During the opening of the February 2024 Term of the Criminal Courts A, B, C, D, and E, Justice Yuoh openly criticized the judges’ proposal, stating that it would contradict the provisions of the 1986 Constitution.
The Constitution grants the exclusive authority to the President to nominate justices, judges, and magistrates to the Supreme Court Bench.