Judge Wants All Courts Feel Impact Of Potential Budget Increment -Barkon Pleads for Subordinate Courts Across Liberia

MONROVIA- The Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit Court, Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County, Joe S. Barkon, is calling on the leadership of the Judiciary Branch of Government, the Supreme Court, to remember all lower courts in the country when increment in the allotment of the Judiciary being advocated is realized.

During a well-attended opening ceremony of the August Term of Court in Buchanan, the resident judge cautioned heads of the Judiciary Branch of government that as everyone is fighting in one spirit for the increment of the Judiciary’s budget, all the Circuit and Magisterial Courts in the country should in the end feel the impact if the increment is made possible.

“We want to applaud the effort, tenacity, and resilience of the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices for raising their voices so loudly in demanding increment in the budgetary appropriation made in the 2024 National Budget for the Judiciary,” Judge Barkon said.

According to him, expectations are high amongst subordinate courts and their staff that when an increment is made in the budget of the Judiciary, the impact or benefit will trickle down and not get truncated at the high echelon of the Judiciary.

Barkon added: “We also wish to commend the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) for its statement issued to the public buttressing the effort of the Supreme Court of Liberia in calling on the National Legislature and the Executive Branch of Government to increase the budget of the Judiciary.”

“We appreciate the effort of the chief Justice and her colleagues on the Bench for such a bold step and decision to have called on the other two branches of the Government to see reason to increase the budget of the Judiciary because the Judiciary is seriously challenged with many critical and compelling needs in administering justice throughout Liberia.”

According to Judge Barkon, research has shown that the Judiciary currently has 22 Circuit Courts throughout the Country in addition 75 specialized courts, and 160 magisterial Court, all with staff who also deserve adequate logistical support as they dispense justice freely and impartially.

For instance, some of those specific challenges faced by the Judiciary include but not limited to the lack of basic office equipment and office supplies to some of the courts in the Country.

Some judges have not received assigned vehicles to enhance their job performance since their appointment, he said for further, and that magistrates do not also have assigned vehicles but routinely commute on commercial motor bikes on a daily basis to get to their assigned courts.

Barkon further noted many courts, like the Edina City Magisterial Court, are conducting trial under a hut and not a court room, “for which we have written authorities of the judiciary since four years ago”.

He also lamented the lack of funding to develop the human capacity of judicial staff and lawyers, and the exposure of judges and magistrates to local and international judges’ training to enable them cope with some new methods and skills in handling judicial matters in this 21st century.

“The Judicial Complex that was constructed in the fourteenth Judicial Circuit, River-Cess County, is today being dedicated by the Chief Justice, the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, and other officials of government in River-Cess County for the transaction of legal business,” the Grand Bassa Circuit judge said.

“We applaud the Judiciary for such a unique project, especially the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, His Honor Francis S. Korkpor, Sr under whose administration the project was launched. It is our wish, desire, and aspiration that the Second Judicial Circuit of Grand Bassa County will also in the soonest of time benefit in similar form and manner from such a project, as Grand Bassa County is the mother County that gave birth to River Cess County.”

Speaking further, Judge Barkon said during the term under review, Chief Justice Sie-A- Nyene G. Yuoh assigned and mandated him to presided over the May Term of Court, A.D. 2024, and her mandate was fully executed in keeping with law. He said returns made to the Chief Justice indicate that during the term under review, there were 99 cases of both criminal and civil on the Court’s docket, out of which four criminal cases were disposed of, two cases were disposed of from the Court’s docket with one tried on the merit through a Bench trial in which two of the three defendants in persons of Simeon S. Reeves and Lorwah R. Konah were sentenced to prison for 15 for the conviction on the charge of Armed robbery and codefendant Loemani Flomo was acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence.

“The other two criminal cases which were not docketed, but transferred during the term, and were disposed of by motions for failure to proceed with prosecution and nolle prosequi,” the circuit judge said.

He reported further. “Additionally, two civil cases were disposed of as well, thereby leaving the balance of 95 cases brought forward to the August Term, 2024. Moreover, one case of Summary Proceedings filed against a Magistrates was disposed of and the Court also disposed of three motions and one law issues in civil cases.”

The Probate Division of the Circiut Court, Barkon said, disposed of several matters involving Petitions for Court’s decree of letters of administration, Petitions for Court’s Decree of the sale and conveyance of land, Petitions for Court’s Decree of Guardianship, the probation of lease agreements, and other legal instruments.

Judge Barkon revealed that The Probate Division also generated the total amount of USD875.00 and LD4,875 from the probation of Title deeds, Lease Agreements, and other legal instruments.

Also collected was USD375 as court’s fines and fees.

“We also wish to inform you that records from the seven Magisterial Courts and the Traffic Court within this Second Judicial Circuit, reveal that during their sitting in the February Term of court, 2024, there were a total of 265 Criminal cases and 17 civil cases recorded on their dockets for the Term of Court mentioned above, and they disposed of 144 criminal cases and 11 civil cases with the balance of pending cases 121 criminal cases and 6 civil cases for trial,” Barkon said.

He further reported that total amount of fees collected from these Courts amounted to USD195 LRD8,000.00 respectively.

In response to the Judge’s assertions, the outgoing County Attorney of Grand Bassa County Cllr. Patto Jarba said, they who are from the Ministry of Justice are in full gear to work with Judge Barkon in prosecuting cases and filing motions where necessary.

“Even though I’m outgoing County Attorney but the Ministry of Justice has over time being challenged, including having City Solicitors in most of the Magisterial Courts in Grand Bassa County.