Supreme Court Affirms LP Jan. 2021 Constitution -Contending Parties to Jointly Make Corrections and Sign

Liberians, far, near and wide, were waiting with bated breath for the outcome of yesterday’s Supreme Court hearing where it was expected for Justice in Chambers Jamesetta Wolokollie to give an opinion in the alleged Liberty Party constitution alteration matter, an issue that had prompted the learned Supreme Court Judge on May 2, 2022 to instruct the both Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence and Musa Hassan Bility groups to sit and look at the LP 2021 constitution filed with the National Elections Commission, make correction together and report back in 72 hours. But contrary to public expectations, the two contending parties have been cited to again meet at a venue suggested by Justice   Wolokollie for them to review and make final corrections to the contentious constitution and signed.

But, according to a highly placed LP insider who confided in this paper on the basis of anonymity, the Justice in Chamber wondered why both parties had assembled in her office yesterday when she had given specific instruction on May 2 for them to go and insert the Farmington agreement.

Responding, former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, legal counsel for the Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence faction, stated that they were there because Musa Bility’s lawyers had filed a Bill of information, and that the Bility group went to NEC against Associate Wolokollie’s instructions for the two parties to meet.

Counter reacting, Cllr. Powo Hilton from the Bility side, said they went and acted accordingly in line with Justice Wolokollie’s instructions. “Like we informed the court, we did the corrections already at the Special National Convention in December 2021 and have since submitted the same to the NEC,” Cllr. Hilton was said to have remarked.

It was at this juncture that Justice Wolokollie remarked that her instruction was for the both parties to sit and look at the correction together because Chairman Bility had said the corrections were made already.

“Your Honor, this is the reason l communicated to all the parties to attend a meeting so that we do the corrections but the other parties did not turn out,” Senator Lawrence reportedly stated, to which Cllr. Hilton suggested that if the corrections are made already to the document, why can’t Sen. Lawrence’s team take a look at the Constitution and verify it.

“The both parties agreed on the fact that the LP January 2021 Constitution is the document to be corrected. It appears to me that the venue and meeting for this process are the issues at hand. I cannot issue the writ because it will drag the case on. It may end up with another Justice in chamber that will have to look at the case afresh and LP will not be operating as a party,” Justice Wolokollie is said to have remarked.

In agreement with the Associate Justice, Chairman Bility affirmed that the two parties had agreed on the Farmington corrections and have no option but to follow the Justice’s instructions, especially her choice of venue for the Friday meeting.

At the end of the meeting, it was accordingly clarified that both parties will be reviewing nothing else but the LP January 2021 Constitution, and that the same constitution remains upheld as the only document on which the two corrections shall be made.

According to the LP source, Justice Wolokollie finalized the meeting by making a promise to avail a venue at the Supreme Court facility for the Friday meeting where both parties will have representatives, and after the corrections, the appropriate signatures recognized by law will sign the Constitution for submission at the NEC.