12TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT,
GRAND KRU COUNTY
REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
His Honor Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh Resident Circuit Judge
His Honor Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh
Resident Circuit Judge
12th Judicial Circuit Grand Kru County
12th Judicial Circuit Barclayville, Grand Kru County
Jurisdiction: The 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Grand Kru County exercises original jurisdiction over all cases as to which no other court has, including jurisdiction in Admiralty. The Circuit Court also has jurisdiction to hear appeals from administrative determinations of government agencies and officials in accordance with statutes that provide appeals and from decisions of courts-not-of-record (magisterial) made within the county in which it sits.
Appointment and tenure of Circuit Judges: The President shall nominate and by and with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission the Circuit Judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit who shall be resident Judge. He/She shall hold office during good behavior.
Opening dates of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court: The 12th Judicial Circuit shall meet four times a year in quarterly sessions, opening their quarterly sessions on the second Monday in February, May, August, and November in each year. The quarterly sessions of this Circuit shall be entitled the February, May, August and November Terms of Court.
Duration of each Term: Ten days before the opening of each quarterly session, there shall be a pre-trial chamber session to be held by the circuit judge assigned to sit during the quarterly sessions which shall immediately be followed by a trial session beginning with the opening of each quarterly session and continuing for forty-two consecutive days not including Sundays and legal holidays unless sooner terminated because all business before the court is disposed of before the expiration of that period. Immediately following the close of the trial session there shall be a ten-day closing chamber session to be held by the judge assigned to sit for the quarterly session and any judge concurrently assigned to the circuit.
The 12th Judicial Circuit Court shall be considered always open for adjudication of matters over which it has jurisdiction and for the purpose of filing any pleading or other paper authorized by rule or statute, of issuing and returning mesne and final process and of making and directing all interlocutory motions, orders and rules. Wherever they are present within the circuit, the Circuit Judge assigned to a Circuit Court, during his assignment and the pre-trial chamber session prior thereto, concurrently with the resident judge thereof, shall have authority to act on all matters coming before the court; and if neither is available, then except for the trial of an action and any motions in connection therewith which may be made during and after such trial or any motion for an order that would dispose of the action, in whole or in part, in any manner other than the settlement of an action or claim involving an infant or judicially declared incompetent, all other matters may be heard by the presiding judge of the Circuit Court adjoining the circuit where the action is triable.
Except as provided in the Civil Procedure Law, jury cases shall have preference over all other cases and matters, and criminal cases shall first be heard; provided that the following capital offenses shall have preference over all cases, criminal and civil, in all courts of competent jurisdiction of Liberia, particularly the following cases:
a. Treason d. Terrorism
b. Armed robbery e. Murder
c. Hi-jacking f. Other capital offenses
Notwithstanding the expiration of the session at which it was commenced a trial shall continue until it is completed.
The 12th Judicial Circuit has nine (9) Specialized Courts and oversees the functions of a total of twenty-eight (28) Magisterial Courts located across the county.
COURTS OPERATING WITHIN THE 12TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
| COURT | JUDGE | LOCATION |
| 12th Judicial Circuit Court | 1. His Honor Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh (Resident Circuit Judge) | JUDICIAL COMPLEX BARCLAYVILLE CITY |
| SPECIALIZED COURTS | ||
| i. Debt Court | BARCLAYVILLE CITY | |
| ii. Traffic Court | BARCLAYVILLE CITY | |
| iii. Revenue Court | BARCLAYVILLE CITY | |
| iv. Buah Revenue Court | RESIDENCE OF THE JUDGE, IN BUAH | |
| v. Forkpor Revenue Court | RESIDENCE OF THE JUDGE, IN PARLUKEN, FORKPOR DISTRICT | |
| vi. Buah Traffic Court | PRIVATE RESIDENCE, IN BUAH | |
| vii. Forkpor Probate Court | RESIDENCE OF THE JUDGE, IN PARLUKEN FORKPOR DISTRICT | |
| viii. Buah Probate Court | 1. His Honor D. Chea Seneh | PRIVATE RESIDENCE, IN BUAH |
| ix. Dorbor Probate Court | RESIDENCE OF THE JUDGE, IN DORBOR | |
| MAGISTERIAL COURTS | ||
| i. Barclayville City Magisterial Court | His Honor Jerome S. Sikar (Associate) | BARCLAYVILLE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING, BARCLAYVILLE CITY |
| ii. Henriesville Magisterial Court | His Honor Joseph J. Saydee (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF THE STIPENDARY MAGISTRATE, IN HENRIESVILLE |
| iii. Blebo Magisterial Court | His Honor Isaac T. Seah (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF THE STIPENDARY MAGISTRATE, IN BLEBO TREHN DISTRICT |
| iv. Sorroken Magisterial Court | His Honor Arthur B. Doe (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF ASSOCIATE MAGISTRATE, IN SORROKEN |
| v. Behwan Magisterial Court | His Honor Alex T. Worjloh (Associate)
His Honor A. Doe Kloawah (Associate) |
RESIDENCE OF THE STIPENDARY MAGISTRTE, IN BEHWAN |
| vi. Garraway Magisterial Court | His Honor David B. Quire (Associate)
Her Honor Theresa M. Blamo (Associate) |
RESIDENCE OF THE LATE STIPENDARY MAGISTRATE, IN GARRAWAY |
| vii. Wedabo Magisterial Court | His Honor David Yloe (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF THE STIPENDARY MAGISTRATE, IN WEDABO |
| viii. Sass Town Magisterial Court | His Honor Othello S. Swen (Associate) | ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING, SASS TOWN |
| ix. Buah Magisterial Court | His Honor T. Nimene Gbeneweleh (Associate)
His Honor J. Seedewon Doe (Associate) His Honor Andrew B. Sogbe (Associate) |
ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING, BUAH |
| x. Allawala Magisterial Court | His Honor Joseph S. Weah (Associate)
His Honor Wleh Blamo (Associate) |
RESIDENCE OF THE STIPENDARY MAGISTRATE, IN ALLAWALA |
| xi. Ponnoh Magisterial Court | His Honor K. Nimely Brodonyen (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF ONE OF THE MAGISTRATES, IN PONNOH FORKPOR DISTRICT |
| xii. Parluken Magisterial Court | His Honor A. Pitta Nyanfore (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF THE CLERK, IN PARLUKEN FORKPOR DISTRICT |
| xiii. Snoh Magisterial Court | His Honor Daniel Y. Doeplah (Associate)
His Honor Oscar B. W. Nyanfore (Associate) |
PRIVATE RESIDENCE, IN SHOH DORBOR DISTRICT |
| xiv. Ducor Magisterial Court | His Honor Sam Toe Barford (Associate)
His Honor Lesile W. Wisseh (Associate) |
RESIDENCE OF THE MAGISTRATE, IN DUCOR DORBOR DISTRICT |
| xv. Kayteah Magisterial Court | His Honor E. Suku Nah (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF THE MAGISTRATE, IN KAYTEAH DORBOR DISTRICT |
| xvi. Wasuah Magisterial Court | His Honor Daniel K. Segbeh (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF ASSOCIATE MAGISTRATE, IN WASUAH DORBOR DISTRICT |
| xvii. Barefore City Magisterial Court | His Honor Eric Jlatueh (Associate) | RESIDENCE OF THE STIPENDARY MAGISTRATE, IN BAREFORE DORBOR DISTRICT |
| xviii. Betu Magisterial Court | His Honor Nicolas W. Togba (Associate) | Jloh District |
| xix. Wappi Magisterial Court | Her Honor Agnes B. Tarplah (Associate)
His Honor Beateah Wormoh, Sr. (Associate) |
Jloh District |
| xx. Tarluken Magisterial Court | His Honor Thomas W. Beteah (Associate) | COURT STRUCTURALLY NON-EXISTENT |
| xxi. Nrokia Magisterial Court | His Honor Alphonso N. Woryene (Associate) | COURT STRUCTURALLY NON-EXISTENT |
| xxii. Lontar Magisterial Court | His Honor Charles Mah Toe (Associate)
His Honor Geepoka W. Suku (Associate) His Honor Jacob S. Toe (Associate) |
Buah District |
| xxiii. Wortaken Magisterial Court | His Honor Gabriel B. Krah (Associate) | COURT STRUCTURALLY NON-EXISTENT |
| xxiv. Botra/Nifu Magisterial Court | His Honor Dennis K. Worjloh (Stipendiary)
His Honor Reginald S. Wion (Associate) His Honor Boniface Jolo (Associate) |
Jloh District |