Boakai nominates Margibi Superintendent Victoria Duncan as resident judge

Published: June 20, 2025

KAKATA, Margibi County – President Joseph Boakai has nominated Margibi County Superintendent Attorney Victoria Worlobah Duncan as Resident Circuit Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, following the retirement of Judge Mardea Tarr-Chenoweth due to poor health.

The nomination was formally read during the Liberian Senate’s plenary session on Thursday. If confirmed, Duncan will replace Judge Mardea Tarr-Chenoweth, who served the judiciary for several years before stepping down.

Duncan’s appointment marks a notable development; as legal analysts point out that she would be the first Resident Circuit Judge in recent memory with only an Attorney-at-Law qualification. All current circuit judges are also Counsellors-at-Law, a higher legal ranking in Liberia. Her nomination raises questions about whether she will sit for the Supreme Court bar examination to elevate her status to that of a counsellor.

Prior to her nomination, Duncan served in several public roles. She was Stipendiary Magistrate at the Kakata Magisterial Court from 2016 until her resignation in early 2023 to contest the legislative election in Margibi District #4. On May 7, 2024, she became the first female Superintendent of Margibi County, following her tenure as Development Superintendent from 2012 to 2015.

However, her tenure as superintendent has drawn criticism. Her leadership was marked by strained relationships with staff and frequent foreign travel, which observers say disrupted the smooth administration of county affairs. Despite initially promising an audit of the previous administration, she took no steps to fulfill that commitment, and her brief time in office left little trace of tangible achievements.

Duncan holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Ghana, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia, and a Master of Arts in Education, also from the University of Liberia. From 2008 to 2010, she worked with the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) but resigned reportedly under pressure from faculty.

Her nomination now rests with the Senate’s confirmation, which will determine whether she assumes the bench as the next judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court.