Monrovia – Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe has condemned a petition for the impeachment of three justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
The petition was filed before the leadership of the legislature by five lawmakers.
In a brief statement, Rep. Snowe described the attempt by the lawmakers as overreaching and undermining the country’s democracy.
Rep. Snowe said: “I am therefore calling on them to immediately abolish their action.”
“I am also calling on the National Bar and all others to join me in denouncing their action.
The ECOWAS Parliament is also concern about this development and is calling on members of the legislature to respect the separation of powers.”
Coincidentally, his wife, Associate Justice Sie-A- Nyene Youh also serves on the bench.
Representative Snowe is one of Liberia’s Representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament where he serves on the ways, means and finance committee.
He currently faces uncertainty about whether or not he would be allowed to contest in the October elections.
Snowe’s quest to contest in the October elections is currently being held by complaints filed against him by two members of the Bomi County legislative caucus – both of whom are against his bid to contest for Representative seat in Bomi County.
In separate complaints to the National Election Commission (NEC) Senator Sando Johnson and Representative Garyah Karmo accused Snowe of not meeting the domicile requirement.
The NEC has conducted hearings in the two complaints and is expected to shortly come up with final ruling.
Whatever the result may be, it is expected that the matter could reach to the Supreme Court and with that certainty the last group of people he would want to be seen in crisis with is the Supreme Court who are likely to in the future decide his fate.
Lawmakers wanting the impeachment of the Justices include, Senators, Dan Morais, (NPP- Maryland County), Peter Coleman, (CDC-Grand Kru County), Jim Tornola (PUP-Margibi County), and Representatives Numene Bartekwa, (District #2 River Gee County) and George Mulbah (NPP-District #3 Bong County).
The lawmaker in their petition accused the Justices of the Supreme Court of violating their oaths of office by engaging in misconduct, gross breach of duty and exhibiting clear inability to perform the functions of their offices as Associate Justices.
“Our petition arises out of the most recent decisions of the Supreme Court, in which these three Associates Justices, by their opinions and Judgements in cases involving the code of conduct enacted by the legislature in May 2014.”
The lawmakers in their petition said, the Code of Conduct sought and did effectively usurp the powers and authority of the Legislature to make law and thereby made ineffective and virtually null and void the code of conduct.
“We petition you to cite theses Justices to show cause, if any, why they should not be impeached and removed from their offices as Associate Justices of the Supreme Court.”
“The petition was sent to the Judiciary committee of both houses.”