Published: October 8, 2025
MONROVIA — Former Deputy Minister of Information for Public Affairs, Atty. Isaac W. Jackson Jr., has called for the resignation of Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, accusing the country’s top judicial official of “distorting and corrupting” Liberia’s laws against nepotism.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his verified Facebook page, Jackson said Chief Justice Gbeisay’s decision to nominate his son, Willeyon Y. Gbeisay, to a magisterial position amounted to “the most persuasive evidence that he is unfit to head the judiciary.”
“Given his father’s poor judgment, should we keep Gbeisay as Chief Justice? An obvious no to the question is imperative,” Jackson wrote, adding that the Chief Justice “misled the President of the Republic to advance his personal interests.”
The controversy erupted after Associate Magistrate-designate Willeyon Gbeisay tendered his resignation last week, following public backlash over his appointment. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai had earlier accepted the resignation amid growing criticism that the nomination smacked of nepotism.
Jackson said the Chief Justice’s action is a clear indication of his failure as the head of the judiciary-one who should protect the law instead of violating it by justifying the appointment of his son who is not a lawyer.
Jackson, who once served as Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), described the Chief Justice’s actions as “a substantial attempt to distort and corrupt our laws against nepotism.” He said he has filed a formal complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman, calling for disciplinary action against Justice Gbeisay.
“Having a flat-earther as any country’s chief scientist would be absurd,” Jackson wrote. “The same level of absurdity applies to having a Chief Justice who doesn’t believe that nepotism violates universal ethical standards and Liberia’s laws against it.”
He cited several legal provisions that he said clearly prohibit nepotism, including Article 5 of the Liberian Constitution, the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, and Judicial Canons 9, 14, and 28. According to Jackson, the Chief Justice’s defense of his son’s appointment “could only come from someone with a defective legal education.”
The lawyer and former diplomat also drew parallels between the current controversy and Liberia’s historical struggles with nepotism, recalling how past administrations faced public condemnation for similar practices. “Even the regime in which I served was denounced for the semblance of nepotism,” he acknowledged.
Jackson warned that ignoring what he described as judicial misconduct could have dangerous consequences for the country’s governance. He invoked historical examples, accusing former Chief Justices Emmanuel Gbalazeh and Francis Korkpor of enabling political overreach and undermining the rule of law during their tenures.
“Unless we collectively call for the resignation of Chief Justice Gbeisay, we risk being unwittingly complicit in his judicial misconduct,” Jackson said.
He also criticized the Boakai administration, alleging that the President was “misguided” by the Minister of Justice into recognizing an “illegitimate Speaker,” a move Jackson claims violated Article 58 of the Constitution.
The Chief Justice and the Supreme Court have not yet publicly responded to Jackson’s allegations. However, legal observers say the controversy has rekindled public debate about ethics, governance, and the separation of powers in Liberia’s post-war democracy.
Jackson concluded his post with an emphatic call for Gbeisay’s resignation, saying the Chief Justice’s “lack of sound legal judgment” makes him “an enemy of our law and Constitution.”
“Personally, for me, anyone who believes that nepotism is justified and considers it permissible under the law or ethics has no place in our courts,” he said. “Hence, he must resign.”
The statement has since gained traction on social media, sparking widespread discussion among legal professionals and ordinary Liberians alike over accountability and integrity in the nation’s highest court.
Although Welleyon Gbeisay, the son of the Chief Justice, resigned as magistrate-designate for Paynesville Magisterial Court, his father’s argument was that there is no law barring the appointment. The Chief Justice’s reaction to the concerns of the public, including civil society organizations, was seen as a complete disregard for the rule of law he has been entrusted to protect.
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