MONROVIA – The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, has issued a warning regarding the judiciary’s involvement in the national budget formation process. She emphasized that the judiciary should be included in the budget formation process and cautioned that if excluded, the judiciary would invoke constitutional provisions and the budget law.
Justice Yuoh made these remarks during the African Regional Group Meeting and International Conference of the International Association of Judges. She stressed that the judiciary is not a Ministry under the Executive and should not be required to defend its budget before the national legislature.
“We must be a part of the national budget formation, and if we are not, we will invoke the constitution and the budget law,” Justice Yuoh stated during her address at the Conference on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
Justice Yuoh underscored the importance of recognizing the judiciary as a full branch of government and not merely an arm of the executive. She highlighted the judiciary’s significant contribution to the national budget and argued that it deserves its fair share without having to justify it to the national legislature.
“I told them we were not going to defend our budget. If the President and Speaker cannot go and defend their budget, we are not going to defend our budget. This is a serious matter; we are a full branch of government, not a segment of the Executive,” Justice Yuoh emphasized.
She further pointed out that according to the judiciary law, the salary of the vice president and chief justice should be equal. She advocated for associate justices and judges to receive the same salary, emphasizing that the judiciary contributes to the national budget while the legislature does not.
The FY2024 national budget allocates $USD17,734,964 to the Judiciary, compared to $USD19,177,180 in the 2023 Est outturn budget. The Plenary of the Liberian Senate unanimously concurred with the House of Representatives for the passage of the 2024 National Budget, totaling US$738,859,827, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The passage included adjustments and the discovery of an additional revenue envelope of US$46,451,000.
