PHOTO: L-R, Cllr. Taylor, Temple of Justice—seat of the Judiciary
By Never Garmah Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, MONROVIA – The Chairman of the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA), Cllr. Milton Taylor has questioned the third branch of government (Judiciary) on the essence of fees and fines that continue to be paid into the account of the judiciary, in the face of the “courts going down the drain by the day”.
Cllr. Taylor said Liberian courts are completely dead and have lost enthusiasm with lack of logistics at the top of their major constraints.
He made the assertion at the opening of the 6th Judicial Civil Law Court on Monday December 21, 2020 at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
The renowned lawyer’s comments followed a Supreme Court directive to the Chief Judge of the Commercial Court, Eva Mappay Morgan that lawyers deposit all fees in the judiciary’s accounts and “file with this court the deposit slips thereto along with applications and other papers as stipulated by the Honorable Supreme Court”.
According to Cllr. Taylor, the essence of fees and fines is to speed up the work of courts and not to boost government’s revenue generation.
Judicial Order #7 mandates all lawyers to pay fees before filing a case. But Cllr Taylor regrets that despite the payment of those fees, they are not feeling the impact.
The legal practitioner for instance, noted that some of the courts lack stationery, despite monies they pay before making every assignment, terming conditions at the courts as unimaginable.
Cllr. Taylor believes the judiciary is not mandated by central government to raise money and that fees and fines being collected are not being used for the intended purpose, such as motivating court officers.
Delivering the charge for both Civil Law Courts A and B, Judge Peter Gbeneweleh said praised the level of cooperation between the Liberian National Bar Association and expressed the hope that they will enjoy the fullest cooperation of the Bar in this Term of Court.
“As we embark upon the opening of this Term of Court, we as Judges and Mgistrates should be reminded that all citizens and residents within the territorial confines within the Republic of Liberia are equal before the law, regardless of their status, race, ethnicity, political and religious affiliations,” said Judge Gbeneweleh.