For Immediate Release. STAND and Allies Reject Justice Gbeisay’s Appointment as a Threat to Judicial Independence

For Immediate Release. STAND and Allies Reject Justice Gbeisay’s Appointment as a Threat to Judicial Independence

Monrovia, Liberia – July 1, 2025

The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), in partnership with WE THE PEOPLE Movement (organizers of the upcoming July 17th “Enough is Enough” protest) strongly rejects the appointment of Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay as Chief Justice of the Republic of Liberia. This move represents a serious blow to judicial independence and signals a troubling attempt by the Boakai administration to tighten its grip on the nation’s highest court.

Justice Gbeisay’s elevation marks a significant setback for the integrity of the judiciary. His recent conduct in the Fonati Koffa legislative dispute revealed a pattern of inconsistency and perceived political pliability—traits fundamentally incompatible with the impartiality and independence required of the Chief Justice.

We recall with grave concern that in February 2025, Justice Gbeisay supported the Supreme Court’s boycott of President Joseph Boakai’s State of the Nation Address, thereby affirming the Court’s ultra vires opinion. Yet, during the subsequent hearing on the Bill of Information, he issued a dissenting opinion that contradicted his earlier stance. This judicial flip-flop raises serious questions about his independence, constitutional fidelity, and capacity to lead the judiciary with integrity.

Such inconsistency not only undermines public trust in the courts but also evokes troubling memories of a politically compromised Supreme Court—reminiscent of pre-war Liberia, when executive interference in the judiciary contributed to the collapse of constitutional order and national stability.

We caution that Justice Gbeisay’s elevation may dim the flickers of judicial independence nurtured under former Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh. It intensifies widespread fears that the current administration seeks to erode judicial autonomy and centralize authority in the Executive Branch.

At a time when the U.S. State Department and other international partners have raised ongoing concerns about the lack of transparency and integrity in Liberia’s judiciary, President Boakai’s appointment of Justice Gbeisay—despite these warnings—suggests a troubling prioritization of political loyalty over constitutional responsibility and national interest.

Liberia deserves a Chief Justice who embodies integrity, legal scholarship, experience, and an unwavering commitment to judicial independence; not one widely perceived as malleable to executive influence.

STAND, alongside its partners, calls on Liberians everywhere to rise and resist the return of a rubber-stamp Supreme Court, echoing the disastrous tenure of former Chief Justice Emmanuel Gbalazeh. Unless we raise our voices and declare, “Enough is Enough,” Justice Yamie Gbeisay may well become the Gbalazeh of our time.

The accelerated erosion of judicial independence only deepens the moral urgency of the July 17 movement. Liberia stands at a crossroads: either we defend the courts now or risk plunging into democratic decline. The time for decisive civic action is now.

July is here. So is our resolve: Enough is Enough"