The judge of the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Joe Barkon, appeared to have publicly questioned the transparency of the Supreme Court of Liberia in the disbursement of judiciary funds to the lower courts across the country.
Delivering the Judge’s Charge at the well-attended opening ceremony of the August A.D. 2024 term of court on Monday, August 12, 2024, Judge Barkon urged Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh along with her colleagues at the Supreme Court to make ensure the equal and fair disbursement funds should incase the judiciary budget is increased.
He said they are all fighting in one spirit for the increment of the judiciary budget, hoping circuit and magisterial courts feel the impact rather than stopping at the Supreme Court level.
He applauded the effort, tenacity and resilience of the Chief Justice and Associate Justices for raising their voices so loudly in demanding increment in budgetary appropriation made in the national budget for the Judiciary, but when the increment is made, the spending impact must filter down to the circuit and magisterial courts.
“We appreciate the effort of the chief Justice and her colleagues on the Bench for such a bold step and decision to have called on the other two branches of government to see reason to increase the budget of the Judiciary because the Judiciary is seriously challenged with many critical and compelling needs in administering justice throughout Liberia,” Judge Barkon indicated.
However, Judge Barkon alleged that during the just ended October 2023 Elections, US$4 million was given to the Judiciary for election special operations but said money only remained at the level of the Supreme Court and no circuit or magisterial courts received a cent out of the said amount.
“Most often, when good will donation is done, it only remains at the Supreme Court level without reaching the Circuit and Magisterial Courts according to several judges and magistrates,” he said.
Judge Barkon said the Judiciary currently has 22 circuit courts throughout the country plus 75 specialized courts and 160 magisterial courts; all of these courts contain staff and deserve adequate logistical support for dispensing justice freely and impartially.
He outlined some of the challenges faced by the Judiciary as the lack of basic office equipment and office supplies to some of the courts in the country; some judges have not received assigned vehicles to enhance their job performance since their appointment; magistrates do not have assigned vehicles, and they routinely commute on motor bikes on a daily basis to get to their assigned courts; while vehicles assigned to other judges have completely depreciated, thereby imposing repair cost burden on them personally in some cases when the Judiciary is constrained to underwrite the cost of repair.
Judge Barkon said the lack of funding to construct judicial complexes is another challenge in Grand Bassa. “For example, the Edina City Magisterial Court is conducting trial under a hut and not a court room for which we have written authorities of the judiciary since four years ago; the lack of funding to develop the human capacity of judicial staff and lawyers, and the exposure of judges and magistrates to local and international judges training to enable them cope with some new methods and skills in handling judicial matters in this 21st century,” he added.
In response to the Judge’s charge, the outgoing County Attorney of Grand Bassa County Cllr. Patto Jarba said the Ministry of Justice is in full gear to working with Judge Barkon in prosecuting cases and filing motions where necessary.
