Supreme Court



THE SUPREME COURT OF LIBERIA

The Supreme Court is the head of the Judiciary Branch of the Government of the Republic of Liberia, its Administrative head and spokesperson is the Chief Justice who shall preside over the business of the Court and other ordinary meetings of the Judiciary.

Composition: The 5-members Supreme Court bench is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices who are ranked in seniority order based on tenure on the Supreme Court bench with the longest serving ranked most senior Associate Justice after the Chief Justice. For deliberation purposes, three members of the Supreme Court bench shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum cannot be obtained at any time to hear a case, the President of the Republic of Liberia shall appoint an Ad Hoc Justice from the Circuit Judges for the purpose of having a quorum. Consideration of said Circuit Judge for appointment shall be in the order of seniority.

 

The President shall nominate and by and with the consent of the Senate, appoint a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, any three of whom shall constitute a quorum at any regular term. They will hold office during good behavior.

 

No person shall be appointed or hold office as a Justice of the Supreme Court who has not been a citizen of Liberia for at least ten years immediately previous to his appointment, who has not attained the age of thirty years, and who is not a counselor at law licensed to practice in the Supreme Court and engaged in the active practice of law for at least seven years next preceding his appointment. Active practice of law, as used herein, shall include judicial service, governmental service and teaching of law.

 

In the Supreme Court Chambers, there shall be arranged in order of seniority, five (5) special seats of honor. The seat of honor placed in the center of the row is specifically reserved for the Chief Justice. On the right and left sides of the Chief Justice there shall be placed two seats of honor on the immediate right is specifically reserved for the Senior Associate Justice. The seat of honor on the immediately left of the Chief Justice is specifically reserved for the Associate Justice next in rank. The seat of honor on the extreme left is specifically reserved for the Associate Justice last in rank.

Order of Seating of the Honored Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia.

To occupy any of the five (5) seats of honor so arranged on the row for the first time, the Chief Justice and the four Associate Justices must be commissioned as Chief Justice or Associate Justice and ceremoniously seated during a ceremony planned for the purpose and no one shall occupy any of the seats of honor unless he is commissioned and ceremoniously seated to enable him to participate in the deliberations of the Court.

Any seat of honor which is made vacant by reasons of death, resignation or impeachment from office of a Justice of the Supreme Court, shall remain vacant until the vacancy is filled by appointment and such appointee is commissioned and ceremoniously seated.

 

Jurisdiction: The Supreme Court exercises original jurisdiction in cases involving Ambassadors, Ministers, and cases in which a country is a party. The Supreme Court also is the final arbiter of constitutional issues and exercises final appellate jurisdiction in all cases emanating from the courts of records (Circuit and specialized courts), from rulings of Justices of the Supreme Court presiding in Chambers on applications for remedial and extraordinary writs, courts not of record, administrative agencies, autonomous agencies or any other authority, both as to law and fact.

 

In the adjudication process, the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices shall have equal votes to reach a decision. In case of tied votes, the Chief Justice who, as a matter of course, is the last vote, shall cast the decisive vote and the votes of the majority sitting and voting shall be binding on the court.

 

No Justice of the Supreme Court shall sit on any case in which he/she is interested or has made a ruling as a Justice presiding in Chambers, in connection with an application for a remedial or extraordinary writ or on which he/she sat while a judge of a lower court.

 

Terms/Sessions of the Court: The Supreme Court shall hold two terms annually, commencing on the Second Monday of October and on the Second Monday of March and continuing as long as the business before the Court may require. They shall be known as the October and March Term respectively.

 

Justice Presiding in Chambers: At all times, in term and out of term, there shall be a Justice presiding in the Chambers of the Supreme Court who shall be designated by the Chief Justice in regular rotation from among the Associate Justices, and no such Associate Justice designated shall delegate his powers to another. The Justice presides in chambers of the Supreme Court to issue various writs; such as Mandamus, Prohibition, Quo Warranto, and other remedial writs and processes. The power to issue such writs and remedial processes are exclusively to the Justice in Chambers.

THE HONORABLE SUPREME COURT BENCH

 CHIEF JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF LIBERIA

1.        HIS HONOR SAMUEL BENEDICT                                       1848 – 1856

2.        HIS HONOR JOHN DAY                                                       1856 – 1861

3.        HIS HONOR BOSTON J. DRAYTON                                    1861 -1865

4.        HIS HONOR EDWARD JAMES ROYE                                 1865 -1868

5.        HIS HONOR CYRUS LOUIS PARSONS                              1868 -1895

6.        HIS HONOR ZACHARIAH B. ROBERTS                             1895 -1910

7.        HIS HONOR ARCHIBALD J. TOLIVER                                1910 -1913

8.        HIS HONOR JAMES JENKINS DOSSEN                             1913 -1924

9.        HIS HONOR FREDRICK E. R. JOHNSON                           1924 -1933

10.      HIS HONOR LOUIS ARTHUR GRIMES                               1933 -1949

11.      HIS HONOR MARTIN NEMLS RUSSELL                             1949 -1957

12.      HIS HONOR EUGENE HIMIC SHANNON                            1957 -1958

13.      HIS HONOR A. DASH WILSON                                           1958 -1971

14.      HIS HONOR JAMES A.A. PIERRE                                      1971 -1980

15.      HIS HONOR EMMANUEL NYAN GBLALAZEH                   1980 -1986

16.      HIS HONOR JAMES N. NAGBE                                          1986 -1987

17.      HIS HONOR CHEA CHEAPO                                              1987 -1987

18.      HIS HONOR EMMANUEL NYAN GBLALAZEH                   1987 -1990

19.      HIS HONOR JAMES HENRIQUE PEARSON                      1992 -1992

20.      HIS HONOR JAMES GARREISON BULL                            1993 -1996

21.      HER HONOR FRANCES JOHNSON MORRIS                    1997 -1997

22.      HER HONOR GLORIA M. SCOTT                                       1997 –2003

23.      HIS HONOR HENRY REED COOPER                                2004-2006

24.      HIS HONOR JOHNNIE N. LEWIS                                        2006-2012

25.      HIS HONOR FRANCIS S. KORKPOR, SR.                         2013 – 2022

26.      HER HONOR SIE-A-NYENE G. YUOH                                2022 – PRESENT

 

ASSOCIATE JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF LIBERIA

1.        HIS HONOR JAMES E. MOORE                                                 1878 –  1881

2.        HIS HONOR HENRY J. NEYLE                                                   1882 –  1891

3.        HIS HONOR JAMES M. PRIEST                                                 1883 –  1887

4.        HIS HONOR ZACHARIAH B. ROBERTS                                    1884 – 1894

5.        HIS HONOR JAMES M. THOMPSON                                         1892 – 1893

6.        HIS HONOR ERNEST T. BARCLAY                                            1894 – 1894

7.        HIS HONOR JAMES H. DEPUTIE                                               1895 – 1896

8.        HIS HONOR ROBERT B. RICHARDSON                                    1895 – 1911

9.        HIS HONOR JOHN W. WORRELL                                               1897 – 1898

10.      HIS HONOR JAMES JENKINS DOSSEN                                    1898 – 1907

11.      HIS HONOR J. A. TOLIVER                                                         1908 – 1910

12.      HIS HONOR J. A. WOODS                                                          1910 – 1912

13.      HIS HONOR J. McCANTE STEWARD                                         1911 – 1914

14.      HIS HONOR F. R. E. JOHNSON                                                  1911 – 1928

15.      HIS HONOR AMOS WITTERSPOON                                          1914 – 1927

16.      HIS HONOR T.E. BEYSLOW                                                       1924 – 1933

17.      HIS HONOR T. E. McCARTHY                                                    1927 – 1928

18.      HIS HONOR A.W. KARNGA                                                        1928 – 1933

19.      HIS HONOR HENRY A. PAYE                                                     1928 – 1933

20.      HIS HONOR SAMUEL G. GRIGSBY                                           1928-1941

21.      HIS HONOR SAMUEL JEROME DOSSEN                                 1933-1941

22.      HIS HONOR R. EMMONS DIXSON                                            1933-1937

23.      HIS HONOR MARTIN NEMLE RUSSELL                                   1933-1947

24.      HIS HONOR WILLIAM V. S. TUBMAN                                        1939-1943

25.      HIS HONOR ANTHONY BARCLAY                                            1942-1947

26.      HIS HONOR ISAAC A. DAVID                                                    1943-1957

27.      HIS HONOR E. HIMIE SHANNON                                              1948-1957

28.      HIS HONOR CHARLES B. REEVES                                          1948-1953

29.      HIS HONOR O. NATHY B. DAVIES                                            1949-1957

30.      HIS HONOR DASSALINE T. HARRIS                                        1953-1966

31.      HIS HONOR JAMES A.A PIERRE                                             1956-1966

32.      HIS HONOR LAWRENCE E. MITCHELL                                   1957-1971

33.      HIS HONOR WILLIAM E. WARDSWORTH                               1957-1971

34.      HIS HONOR CLARENCE L. SIMPSON                                     1964-1971

35.      HIS HONOR H. AUGUSTINE ROBERTS                                  1966-1971

36.      HIS HONOR GEORGE E. HENRIES                                         1971-1980

37.      HIS HONOR S. RAYMOND HORACE, SR.                               1971

38.      HIS HONOR ROBERT G. W. AZANGO                                     1971

39.      HER HONOR ANGIE BROOKS-RANDOLPH                            1977-1980

40.      HIS HONOR ROLAND BERNES                                                1977-1980

41.      HIS HONOR FREDERICK K. TULAY                                         1977-1980

42.      HIS HONOR MOSES KRON YANGBE                                      1980-1982

43.      HIS HONOR BOIMA K. MORRIS                                               1980-1985

44.      HIS HONOR ROOSEVELT S. T. BORTUE                                 1980-1982

45.      HIS HONOR CEPHAR A. MABANDE                                        1980-1982

46.      HIS HONOR FRANK W. SMITH, SR.                                         1980-1985

47.      HIS HONOR EMMANUEL S. KOROMA                                     1980-1985

48.      HIS HONOR ISAAC C. NYEPLU                                                1980-1985

49.      HIS HONOR ELWOOD L. JANGABA                                         1985-1987

50.      HIS HONOR PATRICK K. BIDDLE                                             1985-1987

51.      HIS HONOR FREDERICK K. TULAY                                         1985-1987

52.      HIS HONOR JOHN A. DENNIS, SR.                                          1985-1987

53.      HIS HONOR ROBERT G. W. AZANGO                                      1987-1990

54.      HIS HONOR DAVID D. KPOMAKPOR                                        1987-1990

55.      HIS HONOR J. D. BARYORGAR JUNIUS                                  1987-1990

56.      HIS HONOR JAMES K. BELLEH                                                1987-1990

57.      HIS HONOR JAMES G. BULL                                                    1992-1995

58.      HIS HONOR E. WINFRED SMALLWOOD                                 1992-1995

59.      HIS HONOR VICTOR D. HNE                                                    1992-1995

60.      HIS HONOR BOIMA K. MORRIS                                               1992-1995

61.      HIS HONOR FRANK W. SMITH                                                 1994-1995

62.      HIS HONOR HALL W. BADIO, SR.                                            1995-1997

63.      HIS HONOR KARMO G. SOKO SACKOR                                 1995-1997

64.      HIS HONOR J. LAVELI SUPUWOOD                                        1995-1997

65.      HIS HONOR M. FUTTON YANCY, JR.                                       1995-1997

66.      HIS HONOR JOHN NATHANIEL MORRIS                                1995-1997

67.      HIS HONOR P. EDWIN GRAUSI                                               1997-1997

68.      HIS HONOR GEORGE S. B. TULAY                                         1997-1997

69.      HIS HONOR J. EMMANUEL WUREH                                       1997-1997

70.      HIS HONOR JOHN NATHANIEL MORRIS                                1997-2003

71.      HIS HONOR MICAH WILKINS WRIGHT                                   1997-2003

72.      HIS HONOR KARMO G. SOKO SACKOR, SR.                        1997-2003

73.      HIS HONOR ELWOOD L. JANGABA                                        1997-2003

74.      HIS HONOR FRANCIS S. KORKPOR, SR.                              2004-2006

75.      HIS HONOR JOHN L. GREAVES                                             2004-2006

76.      HIS HONOR ISHMAEL P. CAMPBELL                                     2004-2006

77.      HER HONOR FELICIA V. COLEMAN                                       2004-2006

78.      HIS HONOR J. EMMANUEL WUREH                                      2006

79.      HIS HONOR FRANCIS S. KORKPOR, SR.                              2006 – 2013

80.      HER HONOR GLADYS JOHNSON                                          2006 – 2012

81.      HIS HONOR KABINEH M. JA’NEH                                           2006 – 2019

82.      HER HONOR JAMESETTA HOWARD- WOLOKOLIE              2006 – Present

83.      HIS HONOR PHILIP A. Z. BANKS, III                                       2011 – 2018

84.      HER HONOR SIE-A-NYENE G. YUOH                                    2013 – 2022

85.      HIS HONOR JOSEPH N. NAGBE                                            2018 – Present

86.      HIS HONOR YUSIF KABA                                                       2019 – Present

87.      HIS HONOR YAMIE QUIQUI BGEISAY                                   2023 – Present