Monrovia – Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephas, the Solicitor General of Liberia, says despite the ECOWAS Community court’s ruling in favor of Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh, the case at the court is remains inconclusive, adding that Liberia will take advantage of Article 91 of the rule of procedure of ECOWAS Court.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice on Tuesday ordered the Republic of Liberia to pay Counsellor Ja’neh, an impeached Judge of the Supreme Court of Liberia, the sum of US$200,000 as reparation for moral prejudice suffered for the violation of his rights or reinstatement.
Speaking at the MICAT regular press briefing Thursday, Cllr. Cephas said the government will do a more critical and comprehensive review of the ruling and file to the ECOWAS court a petition for judiciary review on the numbers fundamental issues of the matter.
“As you may know, judgment was rendered against the government and the general impression created was that the Republic of Liberia has lost the case, that is not the case. This is just the first face of the judgment,” the Solicitor General of Liberia said.
Cllr. Cephas added: “As an officer of the court, and a qualified Counsellor, it becomes our responsibility to demonstrate some degree of reference to the authority of the court even in the instances where judgment has rendered against us (Liberia) and to create a forum to engage the court to be able to lay out what we consider palpable errors for a more judiciary consideration of the issue.”
Liberia Solicitor General listed several cases he says are not in line with the ruling against the government of Liberia. He says the impeachment case between the Liberia government and the ECOWAS Court of Justice has no precedence before the court.
“The court cited the case with the Federation of African journalists versus the Gambia. In that case, a journalist was arrested for seduction and the publication of false news. The fact, in that case, is not synonymous with the case involving the Republic of Liberia,” Cllr. Cephas said.
“So, all the cases the ECOWAS court cited are all criminal cases. This case was an impeachment case. It was a political trial,” the Solicitor General of Liberia said.