Judiciary Statement
Signing of the book of condolence for the late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, His Honor Johnnie N. Lewis, began this morning at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
Leading of the array of high level officials from the Executive branch of the Liberian Government was President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was received on the grounds of the Temple of Justice by His Honor Francis S. Korkpor Sr. and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Following the signing of the book of condolence by President Sirleaf and senior members of the Executive, Vice President Joseph Boakai led members of the Liberian senate to sign the book of condolence for the late Chief Justice.
Later in the afternoon, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honorable J. Ales Tyler, was at the head of a delegation, which included the Deputy Speaker and members of the lower House of National Legislature, to sign the book of condolence on the first floor of the Temple of Justice. They were followed by His Honor, the Chief Justice and members of the Supreme Court of Liberia and the Liberia National Bar Association to sign the book of condolence.
Also today, former heads of the Government of Liberia and their deputies, along with the Doyen and members of the Diplomatic corps, the United Nations Mission in Liberia, International Non-Governmental Organizations, the Clergy, plus other current and past officials of the Government of Liberia, signed the book of condolence, as a mark of respect to the remains of former Chief Justice.
The signing ceremony continues tomorrow at the Temple of Justice, with heads of political parties, civil society organizations and the general public.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor Sr. has instructed that on the day of the conveyance of the body of late Chief Justice to the Temple of Justice and the day of his funeral, judges of courts and members of the Liberia National Bar Association, should be fully attired in their official robes and or gowns.
At the sametime, Supreme Court of Liberia has announced that the remains of the late Chief Justice, His Honor Johnnie N. Lewis will be removed from the Samuel A. Stryker funeral home in Sinkor at 3: o clock in the afternoon on Wednesday and taken to the Temple of Justice for an hour of viewing and then on to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Camp Johnson road for a night of wake keeping beginning at 6: o clock in the evening to 9: o clock the same day.
On Thursday, funeral rites will be said at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church beginning 10: o clock in the morning, following which the body will be returned to the Stryker funeral parlor to be conveyed on Friday to Greenville, Sinoe County for burial, which takes place on Saturday at the Lewis cemetery.
