Calls On Residents To Stop
GBARNGA, Liberia—Mob violence is on the rise in Liberia, with court workers being caught up in the web.
In the central Liberian County of Bong, reports say there is growing tensions as court officers try to enforce eviction orders, something that has claimed the concern of the Judge of the 9th Judicial Circuit Court.
Judge Scheaplar Dunbar has warned community dwellers to desist from using mob violence against court worker, police and surveyors.
He made the disclosure during the formal opening of the November A.D. term 2025 term of court.
The ceremony was well attended by lawyers of the local bar, county authorities, prospective jurors as well as the former Vice President of Liberia Madam Jewel Howard Taylor.
The Circuit Court Judge’s charge was focused primarily on the challenges the court and the Liberia Land Authority continue to face in conducting investigative and cadastral surveys in ejectment cases pending before the court.
“We have been ordered to submit all ejectment cases to an investigative survey to be conducted by the Liberia Land Authority,” the Judge said.
Delivering his formal charge behalf of Circuit Courts in Gbarnga Bong County, judge Dunbar said, Under the Liberia Land Authority Act of 2016, the LLA has the power, among other functions, to adjudicate land disputes and to conduct investigative surveys ordered by the court.
According to him, the first step the courts have employed in deciding ejectment cases is to order the LLA to conduct an investigative survey of the disputed property to determine the relation of the parties’ title documents to the disputed property. The investigative survey report, along with other evidence adduced during trial, is used by the trial jury to bring an informed verdict in ejectment cases.
“In recent times, the court has been faced with the issue of party litigants, sometimes a whole community, obstructing the conduct of investigative surveys that are ordered by the courts.” In many instances, surveyors, police officers, and court officers have been attacked by some party litigants and community members who have opposed the conduct of an investigative survey in their area.
“This act of using mob violence to obstruct the conduct of investigative surveys must stop. Investigative survey reports are technical reports that greatly aid the court and jury in the final determination of an ejectment action, as such no party litigant or community members should obstruct the exercise” Judge Dunbar warned citizens of Bong County.
He pointed out another challenge associated with the conduct of investigative surveys or arbitration surveys is the costs. Section 8.1(m) of the LLA Act mandates the Authority to issue and publish in the Gazette from time-to -time notices prescribing the fees to be paid for the Authority’s services.
The assigned Judge of Bong County added that, the LLA needs to come up with standard fees for the conduct of investigative and arbitration surveys ordered by the courts. The fees will take into consideration the quantity of land involved, and the volume of work required.
Judge Dunbar ordered that the fees of conducting investigative surveys should not be left with surveyors who are designated by the LLA to carry on court-sanctioned surveys. The fees should be reasonable and affordable. This will enable party litigants to quickly pay the fees required for the conduct of surveys.
“We must herewith advise our people, especially party litigants, that it serves no useful purpose to obstruct surveys ordered by the court, or to attack court and police officers who are only assisting the court-appointed surveyors to do their work. If you obstruct a survey, you are making it difficult for the court to hear and speedily decide your case” Judge Dunbar concluded.
However, the issue of prison over crowdedness remains a major concern as part of delivering justice speedily through rule of law justice system which is hindering access to justice. Currently, the Gbarnga central prison has 372 prisoners inclusive of pre-trial detainees.
Mr. Emmanuel N. Duo, head of record at the Gbarnga central prison said, of the 372 prisoners, 275 are pre-trial detainees while 95 are convicted which is a large number for the prison facility built for 130 prisoners during the 1970s when the population was lower.