Resources lacking to spread rape courts

Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor, Sr. says the Judiciary does not have resources to make sure that there is space in each and every circuit [in all counties] to establish Criminal Court ‘E’, a specialized court responsible to deal with rape and sexual offense cases here.

“The Act establishing Criminal Court ‘E’ says that Court ‘E’ should be established in … all of the counties in the circuits. Unfortunately, we don’t have resources to make sure that there is space in each and every circuit to establish Criminal Court ‘E’,” Chief Justice Korkpor said Monday, 13 August at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.

Speaking during the opening of the circuit courts here, Chief Justice Korkpor also noted that … judgment has to be enforced in keeping with law where there is no appeal attached against it.

“Otherwise, why do we go to court and win our cases? You have a judgment that you don’t want to enforce, that is wrong. If you don’t enforce a judgment, you will give encouragement to people not to take their cases to court,” he notes. He stresses that going to court is a good thing in Liberia, because it tells that there is a forum where complainants take those who wrong them.

He says when there is no appeal attached to the judgment, the judgment ought to be enforced. “No reason why you cannot enforce your own judgment. This is the place that people wait and come to for redress. Court decides that looking at all the evidence we have before us, we give you redress,” he says.

Earlier delivering a charge at the opening of the courts, Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie repeated judges and magistrates’ complaints of poor retirement benefits in the tune of LRD$7,500 and LRD$4,000 per month.

“It is saddened to note that the retirement benefits of Judges and Magistrates are L$7,500 and L$4,000 per month, respectively,” Judge Willie says. He adds that it is very disheartening and frustrating for professionals like judges and magistrates to serve their country for all their lifetime and reach retirement age of 70 “and live in abject poverty and disgrace” for the rest of their lives.

By Winston W. Parley