Monrovia, Liberia – The Supreme Court Justices’ empty chairs during Monday’s State of the Nation Address led to much speculation about why the country’s leading legal experts decided to skip the constitutionally required event.
It has been reported that Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh left the nation over the weekend to travel to Cairo, Egypt, for the Annual High-Level Meeting of Chief Justices and Presidents of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts of Africa and the Middle East.
Critics argue that her decision to put an international conference ahead of the State of the Nation Address calls into question her judgment and motivations. Suspicions have been heightened by the absence of the other four justices, who have suggested that the ruling may have been planned.
The government’s acceptance of Richard Koon as Speaker of the Legislature may be the reason behind the boycott. A Supreme Court decision that ruled that any measures taken by the House of Representatives that did not comply with Articles 33 and 49 of the Constitution were extra vires is said to be in conflict with this acknowledgment.
In order to avoid any U.S. penalties related to the dismissal of Fonati Koffa as Speaker, which was purportedly done in flagrant violation for the rule of law, the justices may be removing themselves from the matter, according to sources.
According to insiders, Chief Justice Yuoh privately counseled the government to obey the Court’s judgment, but the Executive chose to interpret it according to the Justice Minister’s understanding, allegedly in order to further its political objectives. The Chief Justice is reportedly being cautious as she approaches retirement to prevent endangering her rewards after retirement.
The civil law court earlier in the day dismissed a petition by embattled Speaker Fonati Koffa, who challenged his removal as unconstitutional, citing procedural flaws in the process but failing to resolve the crisis surrounding Koon’s controversial leadership.
Koon’s position as Acting Speaker remains contentious, with lawmakers and political observers accusing him of benefiting from a process that violated constitutional norms. Despite these claims, the Bench’s decision has not been immune from criticism.
Cllr. Varmah, the secretary-general-elect of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), described the Court’s boycott as irrational if it was intended as a protest against Koon’s leadership.
