Liberian Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Yarmie Quiqui Gbeisay says the Supreme Court did not attend President Joseph Nyuma Boaka’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) to avoid getting into potential conflict.
Monrovia, February 12, 2025: The Associate Justice was recently heard explaining the circumstances leading to the absence of the Supreme Court bench at President Boakai’s second SONA.
“Our question is our presence there means that we are recognized on one side of the bloc. So, the best thing to do is to remain who we are. That was the rationale,” Justice Gbeisay said.
He recalled that there was a conflict going on in the House of Representatives.
When the parties in the conflict appeared before the Supreme Court, Justice Gbeisay said the court made a decision, and the effect of that decision was a law.
“A law required that the House should have a quorum and that quorum should be presided over by a speaker,” he explained.
“Now that you, the quote-unquote majority bloc, have a quorum, but we don’t see a speaker there, so whatever you do is ultra-viral,” he added.
According to him, the Supreme Court turned to the minority bloc and said the law is that until you can get a majority; you get a quorum; you must continue to adjourn from day to day and compel the other people to adjourn.
“But there are no statutes that tell you how you compel the people. You don’t have a rule that tells you how you compel the people,” Justice Gbeisay continued.
He indicated that there is no law to that effect, and the Supreme Court does not control politics.
“If, for some reason, the Senate decides to recognize the majority bloc, the President recognizes the majority bloc, and the government function is going on, then we receive an invitation from the speaker. Many people don’t understand, but that was the rationale of the court,” he explained.
“… That was a common way of trying to avoid getting involved in [a] potential conflict,” he said.
He noted that the Supreme Court was telling the majority and minority blocs to go and solve their problem.
“We have done our own, we are not in control of politics. If, for some reason, the Senate decides to recognize the majority bloc, the president recognizes the majority bloc, and the government function is going on, then we receive an invitation from the speaker.
“Our presence there means we have recognized one side of the bloc. So, the best thing to do is to remain who we are. That was the rationale; many people don’t understand it, but that was the rationale of the court”.
The political crisis at the Capitol disrupted much of the legislative functions for months last year and saw embattled Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa illegally removed from office.
Following the Supreme Court’s absence at President Boakai’s Second SONA, public debate erupted here, with some suggesting that the court did not recognize Koon’s leadership.
However, explaining the Chief Justice’s absence, the Director for Press and Public Affairs at the Judiciary, Darryl Ambrose Nmah, denied the boycott of the Chief Justice and Associate Justices.
Through a Facebook post, Nmah linked their action to some busy activities.
“For the record, the Chief Justice has joined 58 Chief Justices and Presidents of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts of Africa and the Middle East at an Annual High-Level Meeting in Cairo, Egypt, which is held at this time every year,” Nmah wrote.
