In his detailed ruling, Judge Carey stated that the Traffic Court’s decision was not supported by any provision of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Monrovia – The First Judicial Circuit Court, Criminal Court “B”, has overturned a ruling by the Monrovia Traffic Court against former Solicitor General Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, declaring that the lower court’s decision lacked legal basis and was not supported by evidence or applicable law.
By Victoria G. Wesseh
Presiding Judge Ciapha Carey issued the ruling on July 8, 2025, in favor of Cllr. Cephus, setting aside the Traffic Court’s judgment that had found him guilty of operating a vehicle with expired registration documents.
The Traffic Court, presided over by Judge Korser Zubah, had ordered Cephus to pay a US$50 fine and present proof of payment before reclaiming his driver’s license.
In his detailed ruling, Judge Carey stated that the Traffic Court’s decision was not supported by any provision of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. He emphasized that there was no incontrovertible evidence to establish that the appellant, Cllr. Cephus, had violated Section 3.7 of the law or any related statute. Consequently, the ruling was dismissed and declared void.
“The Court, after carefully analyzing the evidence, the documents in the case file, and the controlling law, is convinced that the ruling of the Traffic Court Judge, not being supported by any law and lacking sufficient evidence, is hereby set aside, overruled, and dismissed,” Judge Carey stated.
Judge Carey further declared that the traffic ticket issued to Cephus was erroneous and arbitrary, and that it was not in conformity with the law. He ruled that the ticket is vacated as if it had never been issued.
He added that the Monrovia Traffic Court overstepped its authority by ruling on a matter that legally falls under the purview of the Ministry of Transport. He cited the Revised Code 12:37.3 subsections (a), (d), and (e) of the New Executive Law, which entrusts the Ministry of Transport with the responsibility to regulate, inspect, and issue vehicle registration documents, in collaboration with the Liberia National Police.
“It is therefore quite weird and mindboggling that the court below, without carefully observing and analyzing the parameters of its power limitations, arrogated unto itself a solemn duty of lawmaking and pathetically proceeded to find the appellant guilty of a bogus charge of ‘no registration,’ which is not provided for under the Vehicle and Traffic Law,” the Judge ruled.
The original case involved Cephus, who was cited by police inspector Ben Johnson (ID#4875) and the Chief of the LNP Traffic Unit after being stopped on May 10, 2025, on 10th Street in Sinkor. His vehicle, bearing license plate number A58327 and VIN# KNALM4158BCA060358, was accused of being operated without valid registration.
The Traffic Court ruled that Cephus’s registration expired on April 24, 2025, and cited Section 3.7 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law in its judgment. The court mandated him to pay US$50 within 72 hours and to present the payment receipt before reclaiming his license.
However, Cephus contested the ticket, arguing that he applied for renewal on May 9, 2025, within the 13-month period permitted by law. His appeal included a 16-count Bill of Exceptions, challenging the ruling of the Traffic Court and requesting that Criminal Court “B” overturn the verdict.
Judge Carey noted that the appellant had indeed applied for registration renewal within the lawful grace period and found the Traffic Court’s judgment to be legally unsound. The judge emphasized that the issuance and enforcement of vehicle registration documents are the exclusive responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and cannot be arbitrarily enforced by traffic officers alone.
“This Court says it is absolutely inconceivable how the appellee arrived at the conclusion that the appellant was guilty of ‘no registration’ in the absence of taking proper evidence,” Judge Carey stated. “Vehicle registration, inspection, and the issuance of new documents are the statutory functions of the Ministry of Transport, not the exclusive domain of the police or the Traffic Court.”
Judge Carey ruled that the lower court’s decision was a “palpable error” and mandated that Cllr. Cephus’s driver’s license be returned immediately.
