Published: September 29, 2025
MONROVIA — Liberia’s Chief Justice Yarmie Quiqui Gbeisay on Friday rejected accusations of nepotism and insisted that neither he nor President Joseph Nyuma Boakai violated the law by appointing his son, still a third-year law-school student, as an associate magistrate.
Speaking in Lofa County, Chief Justice Gbeisay said the uproar over the selection of Willeyon Y. Gbeisay to the Paynesville Magisterial Court is misplaced because the law only requires senior (stipendiary) magistrates to be law-school graduates, not associate magistrates.
“The president of Liberia has the authority to appoint anybody as an associate magistrate,” the chief justice said.
“My son is a Liberian, he’s in law school, and the president faithfully appointed him. I do not see anything wrong with that. If you show me any law that says the president cannot appoint a non-lawyer as associate magistrate, I will resign my position today.”
Chief Justice Gbeisay’s remarks came after the National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia (NATJL), led by Judge Nancy F. Sammy, sent a strongly worded letter to President Boakai warning that bypassing the Judicial Institute’s training pipeline for magistrates undermines the rule of law and risks politicizing the lower bench.
Judges’ Union Raises Alarm
Judge Sammy’s letter, obtained by The Liberian Investigator, questioned why several presidential appointees — including Willeyon Gbeisay and at least six others — were seated as associate magistrates without graduating from the James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute, the statutory training program for magistrates.
“If appointments can bypass the legal recruitment and training process, what becomes of the necessity and credibility of the Law School and the Judicial Institute?” she asked.
“Such a practice risks discouraging merit-based advancement and opens the door for political influence to overshadow judicial independence.”
The judges’ group argued that many trained magistrates “who endured rigorous recruitment and training” are being sidelined for politically connected appointees, a development they warned could erode public confidence in the courts.
Willeyon Gbeisay, once a special assistant to his father during Justice Gbeisay’s time as associate justice, has not yet earned a law degree.
The appointment, barely a month into his father’s tenure as Chief Justice, revived longstanding criticism that Liberia’s judiciary suffers from cronyism and regional favoritism, particularly toward figures from the chief justice’s native Nimba County.
The NATJL letter also listed other newly appointed associate magistrates without formal legal training in Bomi, Lofa, Grand Bassa, Nimba and Gbarpolu counties.
Chief Justice Pushes Back
However, Chief Justice Gbeisay dismissed the criticism as “unfortunate” and accused some judges of misunderstanding “elementary principles of statutory interpretation.”
“The constitution gives the president power to appoint all presidential appointees … When it comes to associate magistrates, the law is silent.
What the law does not give, it holds — meaning the president retains the authority,” he said.
“I have done nothing wrong. The president has done nothing wrong.” “My son, as a Liberian, is entitled to a job,” he added.
He further argued that Liberia cannot presently afford to hire only fully trained lawyers for every associate-magistrate slot, adding that historically, college-educated laypersons have served in those positions.
Legal Expert Cautions Against Lowering Standards
A Liberian lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Liberian Investigator that even if the statute is silent on associate-magistrate qualifications, recommending non-lawyers to the bench “is contrary to the spirit of judicial independence and professionalism.”
“The judiciary is not merely an administrative body; it is a pillar of democracy,” the lawyer said.
“Recommending individuals lacking legal training to judicial offices undermines public confidence, weakens legal consistency, and risks politicizing justice at the community level.
Judicial appointments must reflect competence, merit, and the long-term strengthening of the rule of law.”
The Chief Justice went on to call out Cllr. Sammy, disclosing that her husband works with the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning, while her brother-in-law works with the Governance Commission.
Justice Gbeisay: “If the question is ‘Why Gbeisay is the Chief Justice and his son is also serving in the government?’, then I’ll refer you to yourself. They say one who lives in a glass house cannot throw stones. If you show one finger to somebody, four are showing to you. Resident Judge, your husband is Assistant Minister for Taxation, his brother is a member of the Good Governance Commission so if you say Gbeisay’s son cannot sit, then you resign.”
The NATJL framed the dispute as an early test of President Boakai’s commitment to judicial integrity under his ARREST Agenda, which has prioritized good governance and institutional reform.
The president’s office has not publicly responded to the judges’ concerns.
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