Gongloe Rebukes Boakai’s ‘Know the Judge’ Remark

MONROVIA, September 30, 2026 — Liberian lawyer and law professor Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe has challenged President Joseph Boakai’s recent “know the judge” remark, arguing that lawyers should win cases through knowledge of the law, proper legal procedure and professional ethics—not personal connections to judges.

Gongloe was responding to President Boakai’s remark that “a good lawyer knows the law, but a better lawyer knows the judge.”

While acknowledging that the statement may have been intended as humor, Gongloe argued that remarks by a president carry significant weight, particularly amid continuing public concerns about corruption and confidence in Liberia’s justice system.

He urged young lawyers not to interpret the statement as professional advice, but instead to concentrate on mastering the law, legal procedures and evidence, and presenting cases on their merits.

According to Gongloe, no lawyer should succeed in court because of personal access to or familiarity with a judge. Rather, he said, judicial decisions should be based on the law and facts before the court.

“A lawyer should succeed because the judge knows the law, follows the law, and applies it impartially,” Gongloe said.

The former presidential candidate argued that the issue extends beyond the President’s remark and touches on the broader need to strengthen professionalism and public confidence in Liberia’s justice system.

He said Liberia must promote a legal culture in which lawyers rely on competence and judges decide cases independently and impartially, rather than allowing personal relationships to influence judicial outcomes.

“Liberia deserves a justice system where the law, not connections, decides cases,” Gongloe said.