Monrovia, Liberia – The Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, has received President George Weah’s nomination to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Liberian Senate is yet to confirm the nominee. If confirmed, Justice Minister Dean will replace His Honour, Cllr. Joseph N. Nagbe, who resigned due to health issues.
According to reports, Justice Nagba’s request is a result of ongoing health issues that started when he served in the Liberian legislature. Last year, the stateman was taken outside the country for serious medical attention.
The early retirement of Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe and the nomination of Justice Minister Musa Dean to the Supreme Court bench have drawn criticism from two Liberian legal luminaries and other Liberians who described the actions as illegal and out of order by the Liberian Leader.
Cllr. Bono Varmah and Atty. Maxwell Grisby, on the other hand, said that the move is illegal under judicial law and that Justice Nagbe does not fulfil the requirements for an early retirement.
In an interview with OK Morning Rush, a local radio show in Monrovia on Monday, January 1, 2024, Cllr. Varmah urged the Liberian Senate to reject Cllr. Dean’s nomination on the grounds that the President had not followed the law with proper diligence.
In a separate speech, Attorney Maxwell Grisby asserted that the President cannot award an early retirement instead of a resignation since it is against judicial law.
