The President of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), Cllr. Taiwon S. Gongloe, has expressed his opposition to the appointment of Cllr. Tweh Wesseh as the Circuit Judge of the Bong County Magisterial Court.
Speaking to the Hot Pepper, Gongloe said President George M. Weah’s appointment of Judge Wesseh is in violation of Section 3.7 of the Judicial Law, which states that a lawyer appointed as a judge for a county must be a resident of that county; meaning, the individual should hail from that county and know a lot about the county.
The LNBA President pointed out that he has nothing against Cllr. Wesseh, but appointments should be in line with the Constitutional provisions that govern the country.
He called on President Weah to withdraw Cllr. Wesseh’s nomination and appoint an individual who falls within the ambit of the law governing judges’ appointment. He said it would be a wise thing for President Weah to consult the bar members when selecting judges, in order that they may guide him in making the right decision.
Cllr. Gongloe recalled that, in the past, the LNBA was asked to recommend names for the Labor Court, and the bar gladly executed the national service, with one among the submitted names being appointed to the Labor Court.
He said the bar members are always prepared to work for the country, in line with the canons of the Judiciary.
He appealed to President Weah to withdraw the name of Cllr. Wesseh as a nominee for the Bong County court and consult the LNBA in order to conform to Constitutional provisions.