Monrovia – In a fiery and inspirational address that drew standing ovations, Cllr. Charlyne Mnamah-Mar Brumskine, Managing Partner of CMB Law Firm and former Vice-Presidential candidate, on Friday called on Liberia’s legal community to take the lead in combating corruption, restoring integrity in the justice system, and safeguarding the sacredness of the rule of law.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual General Assembly of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA), held in Monrovia, Cllr. Brumskine challenged lawyers, judges, and legal institutions to confront “the enemy within”—corruption—which she described as a betrayal of the profession and a desecration of the law’s sacred role in society.
“If the law is sacred, then corruption is its desecration,” she declared. “It erodes public trust, compromises the impartiality of our institutions, and sends a dangerous message—that justice can be bought, delayed, or denied.”
Cllr. Brumskine’s remarks resonated with a crowd that included Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, Associate Justices, retired judges, lawmakers, diplomats, and members of the clergy. She opened her speech with humor and humility, acknowledging the weighty topic of corruption and expressing her deep reverence for the legal profession over politics.
“I am one of those rare individuals who sit at both the grand table of lawyers and the turbulent table of politicians,” she said. “But I love the law more. Because unlike politics, the law belongs to me. It is not a popularity contest. My success is commensurate with my research, writing, and dedication—not the size of my wallet or my connections.”
In her speech titled “The Sacredness of the Law and the Fight Against Corruption,” Brumskine drew a compelling comparison between law and politics, referring to them as twin brothers—like Jacob and Esau in the Bible—urging the legal profession to take its rightful place as the “better twin” in steering Liberia toward justice and progress.
She emphasized that while politics may set national direction, the law provides the structure, legitimacy, and predictability that governance needs to flourish.
A Call for Self-Accountability
Cllr. Brumskine didn’t mince words in confronting what she called “the silent tolerance” of unethical behavior within the legal system. She stressed that if the law is to regain the trust of the public, legal professionals must first hold themselves accountable.
“Are we silently tolerating the very practices that weaken our profession from within?” she asked. “Let us be bold in our honesty. Let us be brave in our reforms. A legal system cannot protect rights if it is for sale.”
She further reminded her colleagues that no lawyer should be above the law and no judge beyond scrutiny, urging the LNBA to build a culture of accountability rooted in integrity, courage, and humility.
Practical Steps to Strengthen Legal Integrity
To translate her vision into action, Cllr. Brumskine proposed several practical reforms aimed at enhancing accountability within the legal profession, including peer review and mentorship, establishment of stronger ethics committees, courtroom conduct monitoring, focused legal education and public transparency.
On peer review and mentorship, she encouraged senior lawyers to mentor younger ones not just in legal craft, but in ethical conduct, called for empowering disciplinary bodies to act swiftly and transparently in addressing complaints; calling on judges and colleagues to report unethical behavior.
she also recommended for continuing education centered on ethics and real-life ethical dilemmas a and urged the LNBA to make disciplinary processes more visible to rebuild public trust.
“Let the public see that we police our own. When justice is seen to be done, trust grows,” she said.
A Legacy to Uphold
Cllr. Brumskine, the daughter of the late Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, founder of the Liberty Party and renowned lawyer, paid tribute to her father’s legacy by reaffirming her belief in the transformative power of the law.
“The legal system is the soul of the Republic of Liberia. We, as lawyers, must continue to be its fiercest guardians,” she said in her closing remarks.
Her passionate call to action, grounded in both legal philosophy and practical recommendations, left many in the room visibly moved. Attendees described the speech as a necessary wake-up call for a legal community too often perceived as complicit in Liberia’s governance woes.
