Demand That Finance Min. Remits Over US$182K “Illegally Deducted” From Judges And Court Staffers
PHOTO: Judge Blamo Dixon, Vice President, Trial Judges Association of Liberia
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia is demanding the government through the Ministry of Finance to remit over US$182,000.00 before July 26, 2023, stating that said amount was illegally deducted by the Ministry.
Speaking at the opening of the first judicial circuit court, criminal assizes courts “A-B-C-D & E” on Monday, February 13, 2023, the national trial judges through its Vice President, Judge Blamo Dixon said that that amount of money was illegally deducted from their salaries over a period of forty months or three years four months by the Minister of Finance.
And he said that was from October 31, 2019 at the rate oftJS$911.34 per Month as at January 31st, 2023, which is equivalent to over US$182,000.00 for each Judge; using US$ I .00 co 150.00.
Judge Dixon disclosed that the amount stated was derived through a case study conducted on the salaries of judges in both Liberian and United States Dollars components.
He also said that as the result, it is applicable to all judges because they earned the same salary.
Judge Blamo further calculated the deducted amount by stipulating that the amount of US$911.34 multiplied by forty months as at January 31″, 2023 is equal to US$-36,453.60 is what the government through the minister owed each Judge in the Republic of Liberia and must be refunded.
The Vice President of the Trial Judges Association noted that the US$-36,453.60, including other monies, owed magistrates, support staff; as well as Bailiffs, messengers, drivers, cooks, and cleaners must be made available to the Judiciary before July 26, 2023.
Judge Dixon further stated that prior to the harmonization, there was no salary disparity in the judiciary, but the action of the finance minister undermined the workings of the judiciary, describing the harmonization as illegal.
“There was no salary disparity in the Judiciary, the third Branch of the Governtnent of the Republic of Liberia, the anchor of Justice and fulcrum of Democracy; when the illegal Harmonization exercise was discussed and implemented. All of the Associate Justices of the Honourable Supreme Court of Liberia were earning the same and equal salaries and benefits; likewise, the judges,” Judge Dixon explained.
Judge Dixon continued by asserting that the harmonization exercise was an illegal exercise and was not a national program as contemplated by Article 72 (a) of the constitution to warrant diminishment of the Salaries of Justices and Judges.
Article 72a of the 1986 constitution provides says that “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 allowances and benefits be subject to taxation.”
This provision, Judge Dixon believes makes the harmonization exercise illegal.
“The harmonization exercise was an illegal exercise and was not a national program as contemplated by Article 72 (a) of the Constitution to warrant diminishment of the Salaries of Justices and Judges.
Indeed, there was no salary disparity in the judiciary, which is why the US$36,453.60 owed each judge during the period under review is constant across the board. USS36,453.60 multiplied by Five (5) is equivalent to US$182,268.00, which the Minister owed the Five (5) Judges presiding today.”
At the same time, Judge Dixon called on those he believed are against their advocacy for the monies that were cut and the delay in the disbursement of our Salaries by the finance minister, to take recourse to Article 72 (a & b) of the Constitution.
The article is simple, elementary, clear, and unequivocal and needs NO interpretation, said Judge Dixon.
He maintained that the judges shall continue the advocacy for the refund of the monies, which are increasing every day as we are working.
“We shall keep you posted at every opening of courts until our monies are retroactively refunded for our wellbeing and upkeep.”
Meanwhile, the Trial Judges Association’s Vice President further called on the national government to increase the budgetary allotment of the judiciary and the entire security sector of Liberia so as to maintain the rules of laws and to sustain the peace and security during the period of the most anticipated October 10, 2023, general elections.
“We craved the kind indulgence of the Government of Liberia to increase the Budgetary Allocation of the Judiciary Branch of Government; and the entire Security Sector of Liberia for the Fiscal Year 2023 to maintain Law and Order, and also to sustain the Peace in the Country, during the Electoral process.”
Judge Dixon concluded by asserting that the highest budgetary allocation the Judiciary has ever received in the past seventeen years was nineteen million United States Dollars in 2006, during the administration of the Late Chief Justice, Johnnie N. Lewis. Stating that since then, the Budget of the Judiciary has suffered serious shortfalls.