MONROVIA – A former magistrate and prominent member of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), Cllr. Lawrence Wah Jackson, is calling on the association’s president, Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah, to resign immediately.
Cllr. Jackson said Varmah’s recent comments concerning a Supreme Court ruling have brought the legal profession into disrepute and undermined the authority of the nation’s highest court.
“The LNBA president has unjustifiably denigrated the sacredness of the Supreme Court,” Jackson said in a strongly worded statement. “He has brought our professional organization into public disgrace.”
Referencing Chapter VII, Article 66 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, Jackson emphasized that the Supreme Court holds final authority over constitutional matters and appellate jurisdiction in all legal cases, excluding those involving ambassadors, ministers, or cases in which a country is a party.
“The judicial power vested in the Supreme Court by the Constitution must be upheld at all times,” Jackson said. “The Constitution clearly states that the Legislature shall make no law nor create any exception that deprives the Court of its powers.”
Jackson said Varmah’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s recent opinion on the Bill of Information filed by House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and several lawmakers was “political” and bordered on sub judice — the legal principle discouraging public comment on pending court matters.
He criticized Varmah for not exercising restraint while the court is still considering a petition for re-argument in the matter.
“The LNBA should have waited for the final ruling before issuing any statement. What the president said undermines the authority of the Court,” Jackson asserted. “If he disagreed, he should have done so respectfully — calling on the Executive to enforce the Court’s ruling while maintaining professional neutrality.”
Jackson, a candidate for a master’s degree in Social Justice and Human Rights at Arizona State University in the United States, said his call for Varmah’s resignation is aimed at restoring the dignity of the LNBA.
“This institution is highly revered by the Liberian people. Resign now and save our Bar from further disgrace,” he said.
Recalling the association’s history since its founding in 1907, Jackson said no LNBA leader has ever openly disrespected the Supreme Court in such a manner.
Responding to counterarguments, including comments by Youth and Sports Minister Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu that former LNBA President Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe had also disagreed with the Court, Jackson said there is a difference in tone and approach.
“Cllr. Gongloe may have disagreed with the Court, but he always showed respect for its decisions,” he said. “That level of professional decorum was missing in Varmah’s statement.”
Cllr. Varmah has faced a wave of criticism from within the legal community for his remarks, which many say were issued unilaterally without consultation from other LNBA officials.
Vice President of the Bar Cllr. F. Juah Lawson and Cllr. Moriah Yeakula-Kporpor are among those who have distanced themselves from Varmah’s comments. They accused him of eroding the Bar’s neutrality and dragging the institution into partisan politics.
Critics have also pointed out Varmah’s previous candidacy under the Unity Party banner, warning that his recent statements blur the lines between political loyalty and professional responsibility. Some legal analysts say his defiance of the Supreme Court threatens the integrity of Liberia’s justice system and risks weakening public trust in the legal profession.
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