“People are commercializing the Judiciary, making out citizens to run away from the court and Justice. This must come to an end. I have just made two weeks; I have dismissed and suspended three persons. If you are caught in judicial malpractice and unethical behavior, there will be no mercies. We will investigate every concern cataloged and reported but we will have no compassion. This is the kind of thing we want to see, standard and ethic,” Chief Justice Yarmie Quiqui Gbeusay has observed.
Chief Justice Gbeisay made this observation last week when he officially dedicated three newly constructed magisterial courts across Montserrado County, with a resounding caveat, reservation and mass dismissal threat against magistrates, judges and judicial staff found in ethical transgressions.
The three magisterial courts dedicated by the Chief Justice and Associate Justice Yufu D. Kabah include the refurbishment of the Paynesville Magisterial Court, valued at Ninety Thousand United States Dollars (90.000), the newly constructed Gardnesville and Brewerville Magisterial Court at the separate amount of Two Hundred Thirty Four Thousand United States Dollars each, bringing the accumulated amount to Five Hundred Fifty-Eight Thousand.
The dedication ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the various magisterial courts, with the ribbon cutting and key officials turnover by the Court Administrator, Cllr. William B. Kollie, Sr. to Chief Justice Gbeisay for onward presentation to the presiding magistrate.
Making special remarks following the cutting of the ribbon, Chief Justice Yamie QuiQui Gbeisay warned the magistrates, judges and judicial workers that there is a new dispensation under his bench on judicial corruption, ethical standards and commercialization of the courts.
According to him, to ensure that magistrates, judges, and judicial workers adhere to ethical standards, they are establishing a Judicial Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability Committee that will investigate, monitor and report non-compliance workers for judicial actions.
Chief Justice Gbeisay further indicated that there are forum and ethical committees for judges, magistrates and lawyers that transgress, but it’s very unfortunate that judicial workers don’t have any forum to report unethical behavior.
Therefore, he noted that the new committee will have telephone numbers printed and placed on all the courts across the court to report unethical behavior of judicial workers without coming to the Supreme Court, something he believes will improve compliance, ethical standards and check and balance.
Commenting on the Magisterial Courts, Chief Justice Gbeisay expressed appreciation to his predecessor, former Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, for the vision and President Joseph N. Boakai for the support, regarding the acceptance of the Judicial Autonomous Act.
” Mr. Magistrates, we are aware that a good working environment should contribute to your effectiveness and efficiencies. This is a place of Law, the building itself should be a place where the law sits. I can tell you without contradiction, that your offices are better than my office and the Associates because it was constructed in the 60s. So, we want the best from you or we will take action. No more selling sheets and commercializing the court,” he concluded.
For his part, Court Administrator, Cllr. William B. Kollie, Sr., welcomed the delegation, and disclosed that the court is a result of a vision of the Judiciary to ensure that all magisterial courts are in line with the new design of the court.
” Today, we have come to officially dedicate the Paynesville Magisterial Court which started about four months ago based upon the mandate we received to modernize and upgrade the court and make it comparable to the new design of the Magisterial Court we are building across the country. We succeeded by executing the contract, and the building is completed and ready for us. Also, eight months ago, you also again instructed us to construct a new Gardnesville and Brewerville Magisterial Courts, today we are here; these are the court, you can now have the keys and cut the robe and turn them over to the magistrates,” he indicated.