By 
Temple of Justice – The Supreme Court in Liberia is facing a disagreement with the Executive and Legislative bodies following a drastic decreased in budgetary allocation, threatening the justice system. Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh accuses the government of marginalization and neglect, with the 2024 National Budget reducing Judiciary funding by 2.8%.
Justice Yuoh warned against indifference and imposition in a press conference, threatening a constitutional crisis if President Boakai and the Legislature don’t act. Despite this, President Boakai urged the Legislature to reevaluate the Judiciary’s budget, with a meeting scheduled for two weeks.
But the expected improvements have not materialized, and weeks have now become months. Justice Yuoh conveyed her profound dismay, pointing out that neither the Legislature nor the Ministry of Finance had followed up. The Judiciary is in a vulnerable position as a result of this delay.
The Judiciary’s procurement strategy, which was based on the initially requested US$31 million budget, has been mysteriously refused approval by the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC), further exacerbating the issues.The functional capacity of the Judiciary has been severely hindered by this bureaucratic impediment.
Yuoh bemoaned, “The Judiciary is unable to procure any operational materials.” Most importantly, because judges do not have the means to travel to their designated circuits, this lack of funds puts the forthcoming August term of the court in jeopardy.
More significantly, there is no way to address the persistent problem of insufficient judge salaries within the budget that has been allotted.
Beyond the short-term operational difficulties, Yuoh highlighted the long-term effects of persistent underfunding. She brought up the issues facing the Judiciary, including declining staff work conditions, logistical nightmares, and a failing court infrastructure.
She contended that these problems significantly hinder the judiciary’s capacity to carry out its constitutional duty as an unbiased and independent adjudicator of law. According to Yuoh’s comments, the Judiciary believes that the Legislature and Executive treat it as a subordinate branch and don’t value its importance in maintaining the rule of law. She contended that the small amount is a purposeful attempt to make the Judiciary “ineffective and inefficient.”
Prompt resolution is crucial for Liberia’s judiciary to avoid constitutional crisis and ensure efficient functioning. President Boakai and the Legislature must address justice concerns and ensure equitable resource distribution. External interventions, such as human rights organizations and foreign donors, may be necessary to preserve independence and legal system.
The standoff between Liberia’s judiciary and other branches of government threatens the country’s commitment to the separation of powers, potentially leading to judicial review and potentially a constitutional crisis, threatening the rule of law and government operations.
By: Alphanso G. Kalama
