PHOTO: Judge Scheaplor R. Dunbar
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- Judge Scheaplor R. Dunbar of Civil Law Court ‘B’ has warned Journalists assigned at the Judiciary to always fact-check court information before publishing, in order to avoid unbalanced stories.
He gave the warning on Monday, December 20, 2021, when he delivered his charge on behalf of the two Civil Law courts at opening of the December A.D. 2021 term of court.
Judge Dunbar’s assertion comes in the wake of claims by some judicial officials that some Liberian Journalists have recently been in “the habit of writing unbalanced damaging reports about judges and court proceedings.”
According to Judge Dunbar, a case in point occurred quite recently when he was accused by some local newspapers of engaging in unethical conduct and bringing injury to party litigants, simply because he judge was enforcing ruling and orders of his predecessors of a concurrent jurisdiction.
The Civil Law Court Judge Dunbar urged Journalists, especially those assigned at the Temple of Justice to double check their stories before publication, adding that “if you are writing a story about Judge or Court, it is only fair that you also double check with the court or judge.”
The Temple of Justice, seat of Liberia’s Judiciary
Judge Dunbar added that the worse a Journalist can do is to publish stories about court officers that are absolutely false and misleading.
At the same time, the Civil Law Court Judge has admonished all ministerial staffers at the court to take their jobs seriously, because they have received complaints from Lawyers that some bailiffs are in the habit of receiving money from lawyers to serve their notices of assignment.
But the Judge said those bailiffs would often take the money and refuse to serve the court assignments.
In some instances, some bailiffs are said to connive with lawyers and party litigants to make false returns to court precepts, but Judge Dunbar has warned that “such ugly behavior must stop”.
The Civil Law court ‘B’ Judge added that he and other Judges will not hesitate to publish any ministerial officers who will be caught engaging in this ugly act, as the court relies heavily on ministerial officers to hear and determine cases.
“Hence, court precepts must be served in a timely manner and the returns thereto must always be correct,” Judge Dunbar added.
Jurors have also been given warning by the Civil Law Court Judge.
He warned jurors not to solicit or demand money or other pecuniary benefits from lawyers or their clients to come down with a verdict in their clients’ favor.
The Judge told jurors not interact with any lawyer or party litigants, adding that if they are caught in such unwholesome practice, they will be severely punished.