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Home Opinion

Escalating judicial defiance threatens governance, investment, and reputation

by Jacob Doe
January 23, 2025
in Opinion
Reading Time: 7 mins read
0
Silencing The Media Is Silencing The People 

Enough is enough!!! One of our major  arguments against the legislative insanity or the uncontrollable locomotive modus vivendi and modus operandi of  these so called Majority Bloc  lawmakers  is that  their actions undermine the constitutional order and the rule of law. They attempted to remove the Speaker J.Fonati Koffa illegally—bypassing established legal and procedural frameworks!

 And they have been seen  by the Liberian people, the Liberian Constitution, the international community, and the Supreme Court of Liberia  as violating democratic principles, separation of powers, and legislative due process.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court, having received a petition from the Speaker, ruled in favor of the Speaker in A RETURN TO STATUS QUO ANTE  DECISION, VERDICT, AND DETERMINATION! By now this so called Majority Bloc should assimilate that their actions are  threatening the integrity of governance and  bound to set a dangerous precedent of lawlessness.

These lawmakers should by now realize that they are treading a dangerous track by abusing their powers for political gain, disregarding constitutional limits, and creating instability.

And now to add insult to injury, after pretending not to understand the very clear ruling of the Supreme Court, and very foolishly not knowing that in such instances, lower courts are in a better position to cut such bandits to size, they are now defying the  Civil Court’s authority to the extent of recklessly making utterances of impeaching judges of the Civil Court.

 The functional illiterates fail to know that this insanity on their part  could result in legal consequences, including contempt of court or disqualification from office, despite the fact Joseph Boakai the wannabe fascist dictator  and his Vice President Jeremiah Koung, have been proven to be the ones plotting all these abuses and illegalities!

By now Boakai should realize that  the advise given him that a president is a king  above the law, and adherence to legal procedures is not essential to maintaining democracy and public trust, a blatant lie and bound to put him in the position of Lucifer, Saul, and doomed dictators who suffered to fate of falling from grace to grass!!!

 As for the group supporting the masquerade and impersonator Richard Koon, THE NATIONAL SPIRIT is warning them that their  actions are  escalating defiance of judicial authority and constitutional governance. Their refusal to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling and their attempt to impeach the civil court handling the case could be, and is  seen as an abuse of power and a direct attack on the judiciary’s independence.

They must also be told that  they are violating the principle of separation of powers, which ensures checks and balances among the branches of government. Its a pity that as legislators claiming to have elementary civic education they do not know that by  attempting to remove judges who are lawfully carrying out their duties, they undermine judicial impartiality and erode public trust in legal institutions.

We hope that in the coming hours or after attaining some amount of education on thae matter, they may assimilate that their uncontrollable locomotive conduct, and autistic behavior could be considered an unconstitutional overreach, since  impeachment should be based on legitimate grounds such as misconduct or incompetence, not retaliation for unfavorable rulings!!!

Furthermore, the summoned impersonator Richard Koon should  be reminded that their  actions are a  a threat to democracy itself, as such actions create a dangerous precedent where lawmakers can ignore or overturn judicial decisions they dislike. And of course, is bound to lead to legal consequences for violating their oath of office and could trigger public backlash, potentially strengthening the legitimacy of the courts in the eyes of the people.

It is actually regrettable that the summoned impersonator Richard Koon and  cohorts do not know that the  rule of law requires that legal disputes be resolved through proper channels, and attempts to bypass or dismantle the judiciary for political reasons undermine the foundation of democratic governance.

 In other words, Koon and cohorts must know  that their actions risk plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis. That is , by refusing to abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling and now targeting the civil court, they are essentially rejecting the entire judicial system’s authority. This behavior not only disrupts the normal functioning of government but also encourages lawlessness, as it signals to the public that legal decisions can be ignored or overturned through political maneuvering rather than legal appeal.

What we mean is that their attempt to impeach judges of  the civil court could also be viewed as a strategic misuse of legislative power to achieve personal or partisan goals. Impeachment is a serious constitutional tool meant to address judicial misconduct, not a weapon to punish judges for ruling according to the law. If such actions go unchecked, it could set a precedent where courts are intimidated into ruling in favor of the legislature, leading to the erosion of judicial independence and the concentration of power in the hands of lawmakers.

Additionally, from an international perspective, such behavior could harm the country’s reputation. Investors, foreign governments, and international organizations closely watch how a nation upholds the rule of law. A breakdown in judicial independence could deter investment, strain diplomatic relations, and even invite scrutiny from international human rights bodies.

On a domestic level, the lawmakers’ actions could trigger a constitutional showdown where the executive branch may have to intervene to uphold judicial decisions. But in this debacle in which the very executive branch is  the ring leader of the lawlessness, the conduct of the presidency and  its cohorts in the legislature  has now clearly  has now dangerously escalated tensions between branches of government and further polarized the political landscape, potentially leading to civil unrest if citizens feel their legal protections are being stripped away. It could not be fired any beter than the January 17 Editorial of FrontPageAfrica!!!

Ultimately, the best course of action in such a situation would be for civil society, legal professionals, and the public to demand adherence to constitutional principles. If the lawmakers continue down this path, they could face consequences such as being held in contempt, disqualification from office, or even legal action against them for obstructing justice and undermining democratic institutions.

 

However, with the reality been the executive branch by all implications is masterminding this lawlessness, the situation becomes even more dangerous, as it represents a direct assault on constitutional governance and the separation of powers. When the executive, which is supposed to enforce the law, instead orchestrates defiance against judicial rulings and legislative overreach, it risks turning the government into an authoritarian regime where power is concentrated in a single branch.

In this scenario, the arguments against the lawmakers and the executive have become even stronger!!

They must know  that the judiciary’s role as the guardian of the constitution is being actively undermined, and the legislative branch is being manipulated into acting as an extension of executive power rather than an independent check. For this debacle is now  characterized  by even their own supporters as an unconstitutional power grab that threatens the very foundation of democracy, replacing the rule of law with rule by decree.

Another  major argument against such actions is that they violate the fundamental democratic principle of accountability. The executive is bound by law to respect judicial authority and uphold the constitution. Bypassing legal rulings and manipulating impeachment processes to target judges who enforce the law constitutes an abuse of power and a breach of public trust. Or Boakai did not learn that in his mythical hundred years experience in government?

We have all along thought that at certain point Boakai and Kofi Woods would realize that  such actions could provoke constitutional and institutional resistance. Equally so, we have always believed that the judiciary, despite facing political pressure, shall continue to assert its authority by holding the responsible officials in contempt, issuing further rulings, and seeking enforcement through remaining legal mechanisms.

 Therefore, its about time gatekeepers such as pressure groups, interests groups, movements,  and other civil society organizations, opposition parties, and international bodies MUST NOW also step in to pressure the government to adhere to democratic norms.

The no rule of law lawmakers are aware that the  consequence of their acts of lawlessness is the potential rise of public resistance.!!! For  when citizens see the judiciary under attack, it leads to mass protests, legal challenges, and widespread civil disobedience. The public’s faith in institutions is crucial for stability, and once it is lost, the government risks unrest and potential political collapse.

Finally, from a long-term perspective, history shows that regimes that attempt to consolidate power in this way often face significant backlash, whether through electoral defeat, internal dissent, or external intervention. The argument here is that undermining the rule of law may provide short-term political gains but ultimately weakens the state’s legitimacy and leads to instability.

In such a scenario, the focus should be on rallying all constitutional forces—civil society, legal experts, and political opposition—to reinforce the importance of checks and balances and to explore avenues such as international pressure, legal recourse through constitutional mechanisms, and peaceful civil resistance to restore the balance of power.

Tags: Cllr. J. Fonati KoffaJudiciaryMajority blocSupreme Court
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Jacob Doe

Jacob Doe

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