10/12/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OUR HARD-EARNED PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ATTACK BY THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
Government's Plan to Dissolve Jury System is Unconstitutional, Dangerous and Unacceptable.
Monrovia, Liberia – October 12, 2026
The Management of Under The Palava Hut has learned with grave concern about the call by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia for the dissolution of the Jury System in Liberia, citing jury tampering.
We see this call not only as a mockery of our entire justice system, but as clear proof that the Liberian people should expect nothing good from the current Judiciary, and that the rule of law is effectively suspended under the Boakai-led government.
The Jury System is the bedrock of our democracy and is guaranteed by Article 20 (a) of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, which provides that in all criminal trials, the accused has the right to a trial by a jury of his peers. Any attempt to dissolve it by fiat is unconstitutional and a direct attack on our hard-earned peace and democracy.
Why We Reject This Call:
1. It is Unconstitutional: The Jury System cannot be dissolved by a statement from the Chief Justice. It requires a constitutional amendment through a referendum of the people. To do otherwise is a violation of the Constitution the Justices swore to protect.
2. It Takes Away Power From the People: The jury is the only place where the ordinary Liberian citizen directly participates in the dispensation of justice. Dissolving it concentrates absolute power in the hands of judges, many of whom are politically compromised.
3. It is a Lazy and Dangerous Solution: The problem is not the Jury System, but the failure of the government to protect the system. If there is tampering, then the government should put necessary measures in place - better pay for jurors, protection for jurors, punishment for those who tamper - instead of killing the entire system.
4. It is a Recipe for Dictatorship: Without a jury of our peers, the Executive can easily use Judges to jail its political opponents, as we are already seeing in the politically motivated co***ne case against the former Vice President of Liberia.
We therefore call on the National Legislature to reject this dangerous proposal, and we call on the Liberian people, civil society, and development partners to speak out.
Our hard-earned peace and democracy is indeed under attack by the Executive, Judiciary and Legislative branches, and we must resist it.
Prince N. Sheriff
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Under The Palava Hut
