page_title: Supreme Court of Liberia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Supreme Court of Liberia / History
caption_attribution_description: The members of the Supreme Court of Liberia - from: The land of the white helmet.
context_page_description: The Supreme Court of Liberia is the highest judicial body in the West African nation of Liberia. The court consists of the Chief Justice of Liberia, who is also the top Judiciary official, and four associate justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The justices hold court at the Temple of Justice on Capitol Hill in Monrovia.
  The Article III of the Constitution of Liberia stipulates judiciary as one of the three branches of government that ought to be equal and coordinated based on the Principle of checks and balances. The court was originally authorized by the 1839 Constitution of the American Colonization Society signed on January 5, 1839, while subsequent constitutions continued to authorize a supreme court, with the 1984 Constitution as the most recent version. Powers and structure of the court are determined by Article VII of the 1984 constitution. The Supreme Court is granted original jurisdiction over constitutional questions, cases in which the country is a party, and for cases where ministers or ambassadors are involved by the Constitution of Liberia.
context_section_description: In 1864 one of the most controversial legal battles was fought between two Presidents, Joseph Jenkin Roberts, President of Liberia during 1848–55 against Stephen Allen Benson, another President of the country during 1856–63 over charges of land speculation. Roberts won in the lower court on account of his powers, the Supreme Court overturned the decision. During August 2007, the Supreme Court allowed proceedings against Gyude Byrant, who was an interim President and allegedly stole $1.3 million of government property. The Court noted he was not immune to prosecution as a Head of the state as he was not elected by people and was not abiding by laws of the nation.
caption: Chief Justice during 1910
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