While the Court offered no official explanation for its boycott, legal observers widely believe it was a pointed response to LNBA President Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah’s criticism of a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Monrovia – The Supreme Court of Liberia’s absence from the Liberia National Bar Association’s (LNBA) International Law Day program on May 3 has set off alarm bells across Liberia’s legal community, exposing what now appears to be a widening institutional rift between the country’s top court and its premier professional legal body.
By Victoria G. Wesseh, [email protected]
While the Court offered no official explanation for its boycott, legal observers widely believe it was a pointed response to LNBA President Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah’s criticism of a recent Supreme Court ruling.
In particular, Varmah’s challenge of the Court’s intervention in a legislative leadership dispute — involving the reinstatement of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa— has sparked controversy over the boundaries of judicial power.
In an April 29 press statement, Varmah declared that the Court had overstepped its authority, arguing that the ruling violated the doctrine of separation of powers and encroached on the Legislature’s autonomy. “This is simply a violation of the Political Question Doctrine,” the LNBA statement read, warning that such rulings could lead to judicial overreach and disturb the balance among Liberia’s three branches of government.
The tension, which had simmered quietly for days, burst into full view during the Law Day celebration. With the theme “Justice, Accountability, and Inclusion: Building a Stronger Liberia Under the Rule of Law,” Varmah used his address to emphasize institutional reform, legal transparency, and renewed public trust in the justice system.
“Democracy is more than elections. It is rooted in strong institutions, transparency, and, above all, justice,” he said.
But former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott, serving as keynote speaker, offered a starkly contrasting tone. Without naming Varmah directly, she rebuked the LNBA’s recent posture. “The statement from the Bar President was not only inappropriate but deeply troubling,” she said, adding that “the Bar should not be seen as undermining the authority of the Supreme Court.”
In a metaphor loaded with meaning, Scott warned, “You cannot dress the devil in private and undress him in public.” Her remarks were widely understood as a defense of judicial dignity and a critique of what she views as the Bar’s public shaming of the Court.
But the controversy has not only split the bench from the Bar — it has fractured the Bar itself. Shortly after the release of the April 29 statement, LNBA Vice President Cllr. F. Juah Lawson openly dissociated herself from it, questioning both its process and content.
“I’m not going to own that statement because that statement is that of the President of the LNBA as an individual, and not the LNBA,” she told FrontPageAfrica, revealing that Varmah had bypassed advice to consult the Executive Committee before issuing such a high-stakes position.
This internal dissent suggests a growing leadership crisis within the LNBA, as well as concerns about political alignment and neutrality. What was intended as a constitutional critique has instead triggered questions about the association’s independence and cohesion.
Despite the Court’s absence, the Law Day program proceeded. Cllr. Varmah, while reiterating his call for reform, also extended appreciation to the judiciary, civil society, and international partners. He called on the Ministry of Justice to prioritize the hiring of qualified law graduates and emphasized that “the law must remain a shield for the weak and a restraint on power.”
But the most powerful image of the day may have been the one that wasn’t staged: the conspicuous empty seats of the justices. Their absence turned the celebration into a quiet battlefield for institutional identity, public legitimacy, and the future of legal accountability in Liberia.
