MONROVIA – The Liberian Constitution grants the President of the Republic appointing powers. According to Article 54, the President shall nominate and, with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission – ministers, deputy and assistant cabinet ministers; ambassadors, consuls; the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts; superintendents, other county officials and officials of other political sub-divisions; members of the military from the rank of lieutenant of its equivalent and above; and marshals, deputy marshals, and sheriffs.
CHAPTER VII of the 1986 Liberia Constitution which features the Supreme Court in Article 66 states: “The Supreme Court shall be final arbiter of constitutional issues and shall exercise final appellate jurisdiction in all cases whether emanating from courts of record, courts not of record, administrative agencies, autonomous agencies or any other authority, both as to law and fact except cases involving ambassadors, ministers, or cases in which a country is a party. In all such cases, the Supreme Court shall exercise original jurisdiction. The Legislature shall make no law nor create any exceptions as would deprive the Supreme Court of any of the powers granted herein.”
Article 68 states: “The Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court shall, with the consent of the Senate, be appointed and commissioned by the President; provided that any person so appointed shall be: a) a citizen of Liberia and of good moral character; and b) a counselor of the Supreme Court Bar, who has practiced for at least 5 years.” Further down, the Constitution mentions that upon reaching the age 70, the Chief Justice shall resign and a new person shall be nominated by the President.
In light of the above, the vacancy for the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia after the outgoing Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh reached retirement age of 70 years on Thursday, June 26, the first step of nomination to fill the vacant Chief Justice position has been taken by President Joseph Boakai.
Executive Mansion’s Press Release
True to public speculation, an Executive Mansion press released on Monday, June 30, confirmed that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has nominated Associate Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, pending confirmation by the Liberian Senate.
The nomination was made in accordance with Article 54(c) of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, which grants the President the authority to appoint the Chief Justice and others. Additionally, the nomination aligns with Article 72(b) of the Constitution, which mandates retirement of Justices upon reaching the age of 70.
In a nomination letter addressed to the Senate, President Boakai described Justice Gbeisay as a “distinguished jurist [who] has demonstrated exemplary integrity, profound legal acumen, and commitment to upholding the rule of law and the Constitution.”
President Boakai called on the Senate to “expeditiously consider and confirm this nomination.”
Justice Gbeisay’s appointment, if confirmed, will mark a continuation of his longstanding judicial service and dedication to the Liberian legal system.
The Executive Mansion’s release concludes saying, President Boakai calls on officials of government to continue to demonstrate diligence, commitment, integrity, professionalism, and loyalty in service to country.
Meanwhile, The Liberian Post (TLP) has gathered that despite contention by President Boakai’s legal not to nominate Associate Justice Gbeisay as Chief Justice of the Supreme due to him being the “least qualified” among his peers and was linked to alleged corruption, the President ignored those concerns and nominated Gbeisay as Chief Justice-designate. Also, TLP was confided by sources within the Executive Mansion the President made his decision due to Gbeisay’s discerning opinion during the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Speakership crises in which the highest court adjudged that former Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa was the legitimate Speaker of the House of Representatives and every other thing done by the then ‘Majority Bloc’ was unconstitutional.
Who Is Associate Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay?
Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr. was born unto the union of Mr. Henry P. Quiqui and Madam Yah Domah, on May 3, 1959, in Gompa (Ganta) City, Nimba County.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Justice Gbeisay obtained his high school education and diploma from the Dolo Memorial High School, Sanniquellie City, Nimba County in 1979, and subsequent to that a “B” certificate in Language Art and Social Studies from the Kakata Rural Teacher’s Training Institute (KRTTI), Kakata City, Margibi County in 1983. Thereafter, he enrolled at the University of Liberia (UL), in pursuit of further tertiary education where he graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in History and Public Administration.
Justice Gbeisay enrolled at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, where he was trained as a lawyer and obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1998 and was subsequently admitted into the Liberia National Bar Association as an Attorney-At-Law in 1998. His Honor was also admitted as Counsellor-At-Law of the Supreme Court Bar in 2002.
PUBLIC & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Mr. Justice Gbeisay began his private legal practice as Managing Partner at the Tiala Law Associates Inc. from 2005 – 2009 at which time he returned to national service as Legal Consultant, Ministry of Justice [MOJ] under the Senior Executive Service Program of the Government of Liberia from 2009 – 2014. He then returned to his private duties as Managing Partner, Tiala Law Associates Inc. in 2014 from where he was nominated, confirmed and appointed Relieving Judge in 2015, a position he served until his recent appointment as Associate Justice of the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia, in October 2022.
PROFESSIONAL & SOCIAL AFFILIATION
Mr. Justice Gbeisay is married, and his union is blessed with seven children. He is also a member of the United Methodist Faith.
As an Associate Justice, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay has judicial oversight over: Grand Bassa County. Jurisdiction: The 2nd Judicial Circuit Court of Grand Bassa County; Nimba County. Jurisdiction: The 8th Judicial Circuit Court of Nimba; Bong County. Jurisdiction: The 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Bong and Lofa County. Jurisdiction: The 10th Judicial Circuit Court of Lofa County.
Why Was Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie Not Picked?
If President Joseph Boakai had chosen to take the route of seniority in terms of entry on the Bench of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Associate Justice James Howard Wolokollie was next in line to replace the outgone former Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh.
In July 2007, Justice Wolokollie was nominated by Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia and confirmed by the Senate to serve as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Republic of Liberia. She served on the Johnnie Lewis’ Bench along with former Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, former Associate Philip A.Z, Banks, former Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh and former Associate Justice Gladys Johnson.
She also served along with other Associate Justices on the Supreme Court Bench, including Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, Yusif D. Kabba, Joseph N. Nagbe (deceased), Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay and Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson. She is the most experienced Associate Justice in terms of seniority on the Bench of the Supreme Court, so, there were public speculations that President Boakai would have used seniority as a yardstick to pick the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia. But on the other hand, the President has the constitutional authority to appoint a Chief Justice based on his choice and the qualification of a candidate.
PERSONAL PROFILE
Her Honor Jamesetta H. Wolokollie was born in Maryland County, Liberia, and has three children: one boy and two girls.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
She obtained a B.A. Degree in English/Sociology, College of Liberal and Fine Arts in 1981 from the University of Liberia. She received a M.A. Degree in English and Teaching & Production of Drama, School of Drama, in 1985 from the Florida State University, U.S.A. and later received an L.L.B. in Law from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia in 1988.
PUBLIC & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
She served as instructor within the English Department at the University of Liberia from 1981 – 1994, and as Legal Counsel at the Law Offices of Barnes and Johnson; Maxwell and Maxwell Law Offices; Cooper and Togbah; in-house counsel, Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI), Monrovia, Liberia from 1988-2005. As Counsellor-at-Law, she served as Assistant Secretary and subsequently as Secretary of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA). She also served as the 1st Vice President of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL). Her service with the Government of Liberia began when she served as Nationwide Consultant for the Governance Reform Commission (GRC), Monrovia, Liberia from 2004-2005; Minister of Youth and Sports, Monrovia, Liberia from April 2005-June 2007. In July 2007, she was nominated by former President Sirleaf and confirmed by the Liberian Senate to serve as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION
Justice Wolokollie has Judicial Oversight responsibilities over three countries.
Maryland County. The Jurisdiction: The 4th Judicial Circuit Court of Maryland County; Grand Kru County. The Jurisdiction: Grand Kru County is the home of the 12th Judicial Circuit which sits on criminal, civil and probate matters; and River Gee County. The Jurisdiction: River Gee County is the home of the 15th Judicial Circuit.
Second Time Being Ignored in Favor of a Sitting President’s Interest
When former Chief Justice Francis Korkpor retired after he turned 70 years old in August 2022, speculations were rife that former President Weah would have nominated Associate Justice Wolokollie since she was long-serving Associate Justice on the Supreme Court bench and she was in line in terms of seniority.
To the surprise of many instead of Associate Justice James Howard Wolokollie being nominated to replace former Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, former President Weah nominated Associate Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, who was earlier in 2013 nominated and commissioned by former President Sirleaf as an Associate Justice following Senate confirmation.
It is said that former President Weah’s close ally, Bomi County Senator Edwin Snowe influenced the former President to nominate his former wife as Chief Justice to replace the retired Francis Korkpor. But Senator Snowe dispelled the speculations and stated that former President Weah nominated Associate Justice Yuoh based on her professional life and qualification as a profound jurist.
Having missed the first opportunity to replace a retired Chief Justice, Associate Justice Wolokollie, is again let down by another sitting President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
There are speculations, though yet to be confirmed by TLP, that President Boakai’s decision to nominate Associate Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay was reportedly influenced by Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, who hails from Nimba County just as the new Chief Justice-designate.
It is said that the decision is a political decision. Note that Nimba County played a cardinal role in electing President Boakai in the 2023 Presidential Elections. If Chief Justice-designate Gbeisay is confirmed, he will become the third person from Nimba County to be named Chief Justice of the Supreme Court following in the footsteps of former Chief Justices Emmanuel Gbalazeh and Francis Korkpor.
Former Chief Justice Emmanuel Gbalazeh (deceased) served at two different times as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia. In 1980, he was first nominated by the People’s Redemption Council military junta headed by Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe, and he served his first tenure from 1980 to 1986, replacing James A.A. Pierre whose reign ended as Chief Justice following the military coup of 1980. The second time Emmanuel Gbalazeh was nominated as Chief Justice again for the Supreme Court was in 1987 by President Samuel Doe, after former Chief Justice Chea Cheapoo (deceased) resigned following a beef with President Samuel Doe. Cheapoo had jailed Doe’s uncle, Judge Harper Bailey at the Monrovia Central Prison on allegation of attempting to bribe him, Cheapoo to turn the other way around involving case he, Bailey had interest in. The other Chief Justice to hail from Nimba County is Francis Korkpor, who retired in 2022 after he reached 70 years.
Chief Justice-designate Gbeisay is 66 at the moment and in four years, he will resign. Associate Justice Wolokollie will hopefully be on the Bench if she doesn’t reach the retirement age before then. Hopefully, the sitting President will look her way.
