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Newly commissioned and inducted Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Cllr. Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, has laid out his operational blueprint as head of the judicial branch, vowing to administer justice without fear or favor, embarks on critical changes when need be, and intends to talk less but focuses on doing more.
Cllr. Gbeisay said he has taken over the judiciary not as a novice or a stranger, but as someone who has vast knowledge of the law and understanding of the workings of the third branch of government, considering the different positions he held including seventeen years, as a Circuit Court Judge, seven years, and three years as an Associate Justice “before my appointment as the Chief Justice.”
He made it clear that he is aware of the problems of the
Judiciary from all perspectives, pledging to work along with the other members of the Court and the support staff of the Judiciary to find the solutions.
“As we take on the enormous task of leading our Judiciary, we pledge to administer justice to all without fear or favor in line with our Constitution and statutory laws in an effort to protect the rights of our people and safeguard our democracy,” he said during his induction ceremony Wednesday at the Temple of Justice.
According to him, there are so many areas within the Judiciary that need changes and reforms.
Specific areas, Chief Gbeisay pledged to focus on in the immediate phase of his administration includes the Rebranding Program began by his predecessor, personnel and infrastructure development efforts, conduct what I call ‘credential audits’ to ensure that all staff of the Judiciary have the required academic qualification and experience to effectively perform their assigned duties.
He also said he intends to take a closer look at infrastructure development, mainly as it relates to the lack of electricity which he said is posing serious challenge to the courts, particularly in the rural areas throughout the country, including
some newly built judicial complexes.
“Even though provisions were made for generators for these courts, fuel consumption and maintenance costs for these generators are very high,” he asserted.
“As a consequence, most of the courts remain without electricity. We will make appropriate arrangements for the provision of solar panels as an alternative,” the new Chief Justice further said.
Justice Gbeisay also said his administration will be robust and result oriented, adding “Chief Justice Gbeisay will be a man of few Words: I intend to talk less but do more.”
He emphasized that he would place emphasis on performance.
“In this regard, we are transforming the Inspectorate Division of the Judiciary to the Judiciary Monitoring and Evaluation Division (JM&ED) to be headed by a Counsellor-at-Law,” he said.
He added the Division will conduct constant inspection, monitoring and evaluation of all court facilities and personnel throughout the country, and will be required to analyze the returns of all judges and magistrates and establish statistical data reflecting the number of cases disposed of by judges and magistrates and how many of these cases were confirmed or reversed by the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Gbeisay further said the Information compiled and collated by the Division will be essential in making critical financial and administrative decisions.
“In this new dispensation, we need to grade our judges and make the judiciary a performance-based institution,” he said, adding “I am aware that there are many good judges who have continued to make sacrifices over the years to improve the system. l am aware that the salaries and benefits of judges are still inadequate for our judges. I am equally aware that Liberian judges are not among the least paid.”
The new Chief Justice pledged to work with those responsible for increment in the salaries and benefits of judges, saying “we will demand our rights under the Constitution and ensure that the Judiciary is no longer a stepchild of the other two branches of Government.”
“We are co-equal and must be seen as co-equal in all decisions, including financial administration. In this vein, we want to thank the Boakai Administration for commencing the implementation of the Fiancial Autonomy Act of the Judiciary,” Justice Gbeisay noted.
He however stated that some judges are not committed to duty, not reporting to work on time, coming at will and leaving at will and performing below standard.
According to him, their job is not a part-time job, and that there some judges who even believe that a judge is untouchable or above the law.
“Such attitude and mindset are totally wrong and unacceptable; they will have no place under our watch. We will ensure that judges and court staff report to work on time and fully perform their assigned duties,” he vowed.
He urged judges to conduct themselves accordingly so that the friendship he has with them will remain intact, stressing “otherwise we will take appropriate actions.”
According to him, his administration intention is to leave a legacy of discipline, saying that he will mandate the James A. A. Pierre Judicial Institute to conduct refresher training for judges as well as support staff.
He thanked his colleagues for working with along with them every step of the way since he and Associate Justice Boakai Kanneh were nominated by President Boakai.
“The work of the Supreme is a collective responsibility, no one person knows it all, and no one person can do it all. Though I have been chosen as the spokesperson and administrative head, l am only one amongst
equals. I have come with open arms as a team player. I will consult all of you from time to time on crucial decisions before they are made,” he said.
