By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Liberia- A highly placed and credible source from the Liberian Judiciary has confirmed to www.newspublictrust.com that Judges and Magistrates in Liberia are planning to take legal action against the CDC government of President George Weah for slicing the salaries of Judicial officials in the country.
Our source said during the week of the National Judicial Conference (June 7-11, 2020) near Monrovia, there was an additional conference which was held specifically for judges and Magistrates, where there was an agreement reached on June 13, 2021 for them to file a law suit against the CDC-led government for Wrongful reduction of their salaries during the salary harmonization exercise.
The harmonization exercise has affected the three branches of government—Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. But some members of the Judiciary say that officials of the Executive and Legislative branches still get huge salaries and benefits than Judges, who are restricted from engaging in business activities and have to only rely on their monthly income.
It is not known what form or how soon the Judges and Magistrates’ threaten legal action against the government will be effected. But since the salary harmonization exercise started, even members of the Supreme Court Bench have also expressed opposition to cut in the pay of officials of the Judiciary branch of government.
Before the salary harmonization took effect in 2020, they say Judges made five thousand US dollars monthly, but after the cut, they now only receive three thousand US dollars a month.
For the Magistrates, their exact monthly pay is not known by this Reporter, because one of them said it varies. For example, it is learned that before the harmonization, Magistrate from the Judicial Institute class one used to get six hundred and fifty US dollars a month, but after the exercise, they are now getting about 530 US dollars.
There are also non Judicial Institute graduates serving as Magistrates across the country.
The growing dissatisfaction amongst judicial officials over pay cut comes against the backdrop of mounting allegations of widespread corruption in the Liberian Judiciary.
Recently, state prosecutors at the Justice Ministry were on strike for the reduction in their salaries and the refusal of the government to give prosecution funds.
The judges and Magistrates have quoted Article 72 of the Liberian Constitution and Judicial Canon six, as saying that they should be exempt from such an action to cut their pay.
Article 72 states.
- The Justices of the Supreme Court and all other judges shall receive such salaries, allowances and benefits as shall be established by law. Such salaries shall be subject to taxes as defined by law, provided that they shall not otherwise be diminished. Allowances and benefits paid to Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts may by law be increased but may not be diminished except under a national program enacted by the Legislature; nor shall such allowance and benefits be subject to taxation.
- The Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts of record shall be retired at the age of seventy; provided, however, that a justice of judge who has attained that age may continue in office for as long as may be necessary to enable him to render judgement or perform any other judicial duty in regard to proceedings entertained by him before the attained that age.
Judicial Canon Six. JUDGE AS GOVERNMENT PAID OFFICIAL
The judge is a government paid official and must be paid adequately; he holds an exalted position which prevents him from engaging in any business pursuit, therefore he must be provided with the necessities of life and with every means by which he will be able to perform his judicial duties effectively, efficiently, and speedily. The judge must be encouraged and given the incentive to live a decent and dignified life that would prevent financial and domestic worries and enable him to repel temptation which is susceptible to human life. As priest of justice, a judge should not be given the cause to be corrupted in the performance of his judicial duties so as to be justified for any disciplinary action taken again him if found deficient in those qualities.