LNBA alarms humiliating condition of Public Defender

Many public defense lawyers assigned to remote counties are said to travel long distances via motorbike before accessing court facilities. The Liberia National Bar Association wants to provide incentives to these lawyers to enhance their work.

By Lincoln G. Peters

The Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) has expressed frustration over the appalling and humiliating conditions of Public Defenders across the country.

Speaking over the weekend, LNBA President Cllr. Sylvester D. Rennie explained how public defenders assigned in remote counties travel long distances on motorbikes before accessing courts.

Rennie recalled that Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh launched a five-year strategic plan and spoke of recruiting an additional 30 lawyers to serve as Public Defenders in the 15 counties.

He said the Bar endorsed the Chief Justice’s pledge to rebrand the Judiciary with the launch of the five-year strategic plan.

However, Cllr. Rennie said humiliating condition of public defender must be addressed.

“While this announcement is laudable, the need to provide incentives such as vehicles and other workable equipment that will enhance the smooth operation of the work of the Public Defenders is also encouraged,” said Rennie.

“Presently, many of the Public Defense Lawyers who are assigned in various counties outside of the bailiwick of Montserrado County have to use motorbikes to travel from Bong County to Voinjama, Lofa County, or from Ganta, Nimba County to Grand Gedeh County, River Gee County, or Maryland County,” he lamented.

He added that Public Defenders assigned in River Cess, Sinoe, Grand Kru, or Maryland Counties have to ride motorbikes from Grand Bassa County to these venues only to ensure that justice is served.

“This condition is humiliating,” the Bar president lamented, according to Cllr. Rennie, the records show that the last time some Public Defenders ever benefitted from assigned pick-ups was in 2014, provided by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

“The Bar is appealing to the Judiciary to see reasons to incentivize the Public Defense Sector under the five (5) five-year strategic plan,” he urged.

Additionally, Cllr. Rennie lamented that for judicial independence, the Judiciary must be financially vibrant to meet its existing activities.

Accordingly, he suggested that in the absence of a financially viable Judiciary, access to justice will remain an illusion, thereby defeating the whole purpose of justice.

“The lack of adequate budgetary funding has greatly impacted our courts around the country. You will recall that the previous administration harmonized the judiciary’s Budget, which affected the entire Judiciary,” he said.

“Our Judges and Magistrates have yet to recover from this financial shock to their income, yet they are performing their duties. This financial shock caused by the harmonization has lowered the morale and respectability of our Judges and Magistrates,” he continued.

But Cllr. Rennie believes that judicial independence should not be limited to mere paper, saying it must be translated into words to meet the spirit and intent of the paper.

“The Bar supports the tripartite meeting with the three (3) branches of government but also hastens to state that the call by the Judiciary should not be seen as begging the other two (2) branches of Government for their entitlement, as financial support to the Judiciary is ordered by law,” he said.