Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr. has warned lawyers against unethical practices during the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) conference held in Nimba County. Chief Justice Gbeisay sounded the warning on Friday, December 5, 2025, during the LNBA 2025 Convention opening ceremony. The convention was held under the theme: “Strengthening the Rule of Law; The Lawyer’s Role in Restoring Public Trust.” He told the gathering that, “Lawyers, entrusted as officers of the court, too often breach the mandates of our Code of Moral and Ethical Conduct, leaking court records, granting interviews, and fuelling negative narratives that compromise due process and diminish the dignity of our profession.” The Chief Justice further noted that when a lawyer wins a case in this jurisdiction, he/she goes the extra mile to ensure that the judgment is enforced; but when the same lawyer loses a case, he/she runs to the Chief Justice’s office, the Legislature, and the Executive Branch for redress. Such an attitude, the Chief Justice said, “If all fails, he/she goes to the Supreme Court or ‘social media’ to denigrate the court or the Chief Justice. Such conduct will not be tolerated. Swift and concrete actions will be taken against lawyers who permit their clients to malign the court, or who themselves speak publicly on matters that are sub judice.”
However, he reminded the lawyers that the Supreme Court of Liberia has spoken clearly on this matter, citing the Toe v. FrontPage Africa Newspaper, which was widely a landmark case, and the Court affirmed that while freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy, it cannot serve as a license for defamation or calculated assaults on judicial integrity. “As we deliberate during this Assembly, I urge each of you to reflect on the sacred duty we bear: to protect the dignity of our courts and to ensure that technology becomes a force for justice rather than a weapon of violence to deny rights. Let us recommit ourselves to advancing the rule of law, safeguarding human rights, and strengthening the pillars of democracy in Liberia”, he added. Also speaking at the opening program was Cllr. Mark M. Marvey, the Keynote Speaker, who also warned lawyers that Liberia’s economic progress is impossible without lawyers’ commitment to their duty. “While we cannot always build the future for our people, we can at least build our people for the future.”
He further cautioned that when citizens lack access to legal knowledge or avenues for participation, they cannot meaningfully influence the system that governs them. He maintains that there is no possibility of development and realizing individual capacities, no possibilities of being a people guiding their own destiny.
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