TUBMANBURG, Bomi—The May term has opened at the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Bomi, where Presiding Judge T. Ciapha Carey encouraged lawyers and judges to uphold the independence of the judicial system.

Carey noted that judicial independence is necessary to safeguard citizens against the abuse of power by other branches of government.

“Without judicial independence, the rule of law will be compromised, leading to the lack of trust in the legal system,” Judge Carey said. “We need to build and maintain an independent judicial system, which involves factors such as well-trained judges, adequate remuneration, a transparent process, and a robust disciplinary system.”

Opening a new court term is traditionally a time for judges to call attention to issues they believe are most important at the time. Like Carey, Grand Bassa’s Judge Joe S. Barkon of the Second Judicial Circuit Court also called for more judicial independence. Meanwhile, Judge Mardea Tarr-Chenoweth of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Kakata called for the government to do more to address crowded prisons.

In response to Judge Carey’s charge, the president of the Bomi Bar Association, Cllr. Bhatu Holmes acknowledged the need for judicial independence and said although there were challenges within the legal system, those should not be reasons to undermine judicial independence. Instead, she argued that lawyers’ “conscience should always be there to set us free and to make us do what is right.”

Featured photo by Richard Williams