Why A Liberian Traditional Zoe Was Jailed By Criminal Court “A”
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
There was a test of traditional and legal powers recently, when Criminal Court ‘A’ at the Temple of Justice remanded Liberia’s Chief Traditional Zoe, Nora Samuel at the Monrovia Central Prison.
Why? The Zoe had allegedly failed twice to bring the living bodies of three young women who were allegedly forcibly taken away, detained, and initiated in the Sande Society along the Marshall Highway.
Judge Roosevelt Willie’s decision according to reports from Court Correspondence was triggered by a petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus filed on April 4th, 2024 before Criminal Court “A” by the Organization for Women and Children and Community Health Care Initiative.
Montserrado County Attorney Cllr. Swaliho Sesay, representing the defendants, rejected the petitioner’s lawyers’ claim, stating that the Petitioners were without standing to file the writ, as the parents of the girls did not give the Petitioners their consent to file a writ or lawsuit on their behalf.
The petitioners’ lawyers including Cllr. Sennay Carlor II, Atty. Mmonbeydo Nadine Joah & Atty. Facia Harris yesterday argued that one of the young women (name withheld) is 22 years old, an adult, who was forcefully taken to the Sande bush by the defendants against her will, and at such believes that Habeas Corpus will lie as provided by law and according to the Article 21 of the Constitution of Liberia which state that “ The right to the writ of habeas corpus, being essential to the protection of human rights, shall be guaranteed at all times, and any person arrested or detained and not presented to court within the period specified may in consequence exercise this right ..
Two Zoes were held in contempt by the court for refusing to respect the Court’s order. The Judge in his ruling, released one of the Zoes, to go and bring the young women before Court while the other, Nora Samuel committed to the Monrovia Central Prison, pending adherence to the Court’s writ.
Whilst one of the Zoes is incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison, they are to bring the children on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
On February 6, 2023, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL), through its Chairperson, Chief Zanzan Karwor, made a historic proclamation to ban the practice of FGM in Liberia. Chief Zanzar Karwor declared, “By the power vested in me by all the Paramount Chiefs of the 15 political divisions in Liberia and signed by myself… FGM is banned in Liberia.”
Previously, in 2018, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf signed an executive order on the Domestic Violence bill to ban FGM on girls under 18 years old. However, the ban expired in February 2019. The Government of Liberia and its partners continue to work closely on the issues of ending FGM in Liberia, including proffering legal reforms.