Youh’s Bench Boycotts Law Day Celebration -As Keynote Speaker Criticizes LNBA For Critiquing S/Court’s Opinion

The full bench of the Supreme Court was glaringly absent from the entire Law Day event which was organized by the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) beginning with a parade that was heavily attended by high school students.
Law Day globally calls for a special annual ceremony by lawyers and other stakeholders in the legal sector to observe the practice of law and other issues.
The Youh bench, for undisclosed reasons, unprecedentedly boycotted the event after ordering all courts closed across the country to ensure that all lawyers were in attendance.
A part of the program which was to have the Chief Justice conveying a special Law Day Message from the Supreme Court was skipped because the court had no representative in the event hall.
However, the 2025 International Law Day’s keynote speaker, Gloria Musu-Scott, cautioned members of the LNBA to respect every position made by the Supreme Court in political matters rather than steering contradiction within the rule of law sector of the country.
Former Chief Justice Scott criticized the leadership of the Bar for recently disagreeing with the high court over a heated political matter that has started affecting the functionality of national government for nearly a year.
Serving as the keynote speaker for Liberia’s observance of Law Day at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo, the legal luminary explained that members of the legal profession known as lawyers have the protection of the constitution to plead cases for party litigants and stand by what the rule of law says in the final end of said cases.
According to her, the Supreme Court, regarded as the chief arbiter of justice in the land, has the full responsibility to interpret the law which is argued by the same lawyer and no side with legal understanding should ignore the rulings or opinions rendered by the court.
Cllr. Scott’s statement was made in connection to the leadership of the Bar recent decision to disagree with key components of the Supreme Court ruling issued on April 23, 2025 in a Bill of Information file by embattled House Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa.
In that ruling, the court termed the decision of impeachment by majority members of the Legislature and replacing Speaker Koffa as illegal and a total violation of democratic norms underlined in the constitution.
To these and other highlights of the court ruling, the Bar disclosed in a public conference a position of descent to the ruling, calling on the court to review its ruling.
However, the former chief justice informed lawyers that the supreme court has spoken on the legal basis of the impasse at the Legislature and the ruling to that effect should be accepted by members of the LNBA no matter who it is against.
She cautioned the Bar through its leadership to consult and be cautious of making public statements relative to courts’ rulings so that the legal profession cannot bewilder into politics, leaving the face of justice and civil rights under low attention.
According to her, LNBA should know when and where to make public statements so that members cannot be lashing at leadership to bring the Bar to disrepute. The Bar in her words is expected to play a role in evaluating the context of what it says to the matter of the capitol because the situation has passed legal stage and currently into political maneuvering.
“The Supreme Court has spoken in the opinion. Whether or not we like the court opinion, we advise our clients to respect what the court says. We as lawyers have to be careful and intentional as we guide this process,” Cllr. Scott maintained.
She also noted that the Supreme Court has over the years positioned its way far from getting involved into political matters as a way of maintaining its integrity and focusing on the laydown interpretation of the law.
“Where the whole matter was clear politics and to step in that realm was stepping into a mind field. We should advise our clients to weigh the law, the Supreme Court itself said it will not get involved into politics so this should be a cue to all of us lawyers,” she added.
She also called on legal minds to engage the court to begin documenting opinions so that cases can be used for precedents. In that way, she said the court will become careful rendering final statements to avoid rendering separate opinions on matters before the full bench.
The remarks of the Law Day’s Speaker connected perceived public notification that the Bar and the Supreme Court are unresolved in the midst of heavy political tensions regarding the interpretations of the constitution over the legislative impasse.