Supreme Court lifts travel ban on Chronicle publisher

The Supreme Court of Liberia has lifted the travel ban imposed on the publisher of the National Chronicle Newspaper, Philipbert Brown by the Executive branch of government.

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in a conference hearing between the government and the Press Union of Liberia, subsequently clearing Mr. Brown to travel in keeping with Article 13(B) of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.

According to Justice Kabinah Ja’neh, on the question of reopening the National Chronicle Newspaper, the Government of Liberia and defense lawyers raised the legal argument that needs attention of the full bench.

Justice Ja’neh said the conference hearing on the opening of the paper will be conducted on the second Monday in October with the full representation of the Supreme Court bench.

He explained that no Justice is single-handedly clothed with the authority to rule in constitutional matters in line with the tradition of the Supreme Court of Liberia.

After the ruling of the high court, a defense lawyer representing the Press Union of Liberia,  Cllr. Syrenius Cephus, said the motion for prohibition was filed based on illegal travel restriction placed on publisher Brown and that closure of his paper was unconstitutional.