Buchanan- On Monday, November 8, 2021, the Second Judicial Circuit Court opened with several members of the Court present at the November term of the Upper Buchanan Court.

One of the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Justice Yusuf D. Kaba, made it clear to the public that the judiciary is the “dark cow” of the government.

“The judiciary is a black cow in government; we don’t tell each other the truth, go read the report of the American State Department…”

Justice Kaba further said, “The judiciary has been tarnished because of so many bad peanuts who got involved in the justice system,” he said.

Associate Justice Kaba said judicial actors who have no conscience damage the justice system.

He urged judges to change their behavior, saying that otherwise citizens would lose trust in them, which he said would cause chaos in the country.

“We want to advise members of the judiciary to abstain, otherwise citizens will lose trust in all of us very soon,” he said.

The Associate Justice of the Supreme Court noted that they instituted the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to improve the system.

Justice Kaba explained that if the Judicial Inquiry Commission finds a judge guilty and later confirmed by the Supreme Court, that person will be swept out of the system.

In the meantime, he calls on judicial actors to change their attitude so that Justice is returned to citizens.

Associate Justice Kaba is an experienced jurist who has served as a judge since 1998, when he was appointed by President Charles Taylor as a relief judge and reawakened the ranks of the judiciary. He served as resident circuit judge of the 6th Judicial Circuit, acting court administrator, acting probate judge, and member of the jury investigation committee.

Justice Kaba is the fifth Muslim to be appointed associate judge since 1977.

The first was Cllr Frederick K. Tulay who served as Associate Justice in two different governments from 1977 to 1980 under Chief Justice James AA Pierre, Sr. and from 1985 to 1987 under Chief Justice Emmanuel Gbalazeh and Chief Justice James N. Nagbe.

The second was Cllr Karmo Soko Sackor, Sr, who was also an associate judge in two governments. He served in the National Transitional Government of Liberia from 1995-1997 under Chief Justices James G. Bull and Frances Johnson-Morris and he was reappointed to the Supreme Court by President Charles Taylor and served from 1997 to 2003. Cllr George S. Tulay also served as an Associate Judge on the bench of Frances Johnson-Morris in 1997. Most recently, Associate Judge Kabineh M. Ja’neh served from 2006 to 2019.