By Seltue Robert Karweaye Sr.
Liberian Policy Analyst, Security Expert, Researcher, and Commentary Writer
Liberia’s justice system faces serious challenges, including allegations of corruption, jury tampering, political interference, prolonged judicial proceedings, and declining public confidence. These problems demand urgent institutional reforms, stronger accountability, and consistent enforcement of the law. However, dismantling a fundamental constitutional right because institutions struggle to enforce existing laws raises troubling questions about the direction of judicial reform in Liberia.
On Monday, October 12, 2026, during the opening of the Supreme Court’s October Term at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay Sr. reportedly called on the 55th National Legislature to consider abolishing Liberia’s jury trial system, citing allegations of corruption and jury tampering.
While the Chief Justice’s concerns about the integrity of jury proceedings deserve serious consideration, his proposed solution raises fundamental constitutional and institutional questions.
Mr. Chief Justice, the solution to jury tampering is not to abolish trial by jury. It is to strengthen the administration of justice, investigate corruption, prosecute offenders, and enforce existing laws without fear or favor.
We cannot allow weaknesses in our institutions to become justifications for taking away constitutional protections from the Liberian people.
Trial by Jury Is a Constitutional Right, Not a Legislative Privilege
The 1986 Constitution of Liberia is explicit about the right to trial by jury.
Article 20(a) provides, in relevant part:
“Justice shall be done without sale, denial or delay; and in all cases not arising in courts not of record, under courts-martial and upon impeachment, the parties shall have the right to trial by jury.”
The language is unmistakable. The Constitution establishes trial by jury as a protected right in the cases to which the provision applies.
Furthermore, Article 21(h) guarantees an accused person the right to a speedy, public, and impartial jury trial in specified criminal proceedings, subject to constitutionally recognized exceptions and waiver.
These provisions are not ordinary legislative preferences that lawmakers can simply discard because the justice system encounters administrative difficulties.
They are constitutional guarantees designed to protect individuals against arbitrary exercises of state power.
Consequently, any proposal to abolish constitutionally protected jury trials would require more than an ordinary legislative enactment.
Under Article 91 of the Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires the prescribed legislative approval and ratification through a national referendum. Article 92 further establishes requirements for public notification and the presentation of proposed amendments.
The Legislature may reform jury selection, strengthen safeguards against corruption, and improve trial procedures within constitutional limits. However, it cannot simply legislate away a right expressly protected by the Constitution.
The fundamental question, therefore, is not whether Liberia’s jury system has weaknesses. It certainly does. The question is whether those weaknesses justify removing a constitutional protection rather than repairing the institutions responsible for administering it.
Jury Tampering Is a Failure of Enforcement, Not Proof That Jury Trials Must End
Chief Justice Gbeisay’s concerns about jury tampering, bribery, and corruption should not be dismissed.
A judicial system in which jurors can be improperly influenced threatens the integrity of criminal proceedings, undermines public confidence, and compromises the administration of justice.
However, acknowledging these problems does not establish that abolishing jury trials is the appropriate remedy.
If jurors accept bribes, the responsible authorities should investigate and prosecute them where the evidence warrants prosecution.
If lawyers, litigants, public officials, or other individuals attempt to influence jurors unlawfully, they should face appropriate legal consequences.
If weaknesses exist in jury selection, supervision, compensation, or protection, the Judiciary should identify and correct those weaknesses.
What Liberia needs is an effective system of accountability, not the elimination of constitutional safeguards.
Indeed, the Liberian Judiciary already maintains an Office of Jury Management, established as part of earlier efforts to improve the administration of jury service.
The existence of that office provides an institutional foundation upon which additional reforms can be developed.
The Chief Justice should therefore consider strengthening jury management, improving juror screening, introducing appropriate protections against improper contact, and ensuring that allegations of misconduct receive timely and impartial investigations.
A justice system should not abandon constitutional rights because it struggles to protect them. It should strengthen its capacity to guarantee those rights.
Abolishing Juries Will Not Automatically Eliminate Judicial Corruption
There is another fundamental weakness in the argument for abolishing jury trials.
Corruption in the justice system is not necessarily confined to jurors.
Judges, prosecutors, lawyers, court administrators, investigators, and other participants in judicial proceedings may also be exposed to improper influence.
Removing jurors from the judicial process would not automatically eliminate bribery, political pressure, procedural manipulation, or corruption.
It would simply transfer greater responsibility for determining the facts in applicable cases to professional judicial officers.
That arrangement might offer certain administrative advantages, but it would also create different institutional risks requiring equally strong safeguards.
If corruption is the underlying problem, the appropriate response must address corruption throughout the justice system.
Otherwise, Liberia risks changing the structure of its judicial proceedings without resolving the conduct that undermines public confidence.
Consider the broader implication.
If allegations of corruption arise within the Legislature, should Liberia abolish legislative representation?
If corruption occurs within the Executive Branch, should the country eliminate executive institutions?
If judicial officers engage in misconduct, should Liberia abolish the courts?
Certainly not.
The reasonable response is to investigate misconduct, strengthen oversight, enforce accountability, and reform defective institutional practices.
The same principle should guide the debate over jury trials.
The Samuel Tweah Case and the Danger of Generalizing From Controversial Trials
Recent controversies involving jury proceedings have intensified public debate about the integrity of Liberia’s judicial system.
Among them is the economic sabotage case involving former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. and other former government officials.
The case attracted public attention following allegations and reporting concerning possible jury interference.
However, allegations must be distinguished from established findings of misconduct.
In May 2026, the Judiciary publicly rejected a report claiming that Chief Justice Gbeisay had ordered an investigation into alleged jury tampering connected with the case.
This distinction matters because public controversy surrounding a particular trial does not, by itself, establish that jurors committed wrongdoing.
Neither does it justify a conclusion that Liberia’s entire jury system is beyond reform.
Every allegation of jury tampering should be assessed on its own evidence, through procedures that respect the rights of all parties involved.
A controversial verdict should not automatically be treated as proof of corruption merely because members of the public disagree with the outcome.
The presumption of innocence, due process, and evidentiary standards must apply equally to jurors and everyone else accused of wrongdoing.
Judicial Reform Must Strengthen Public Confidence
Liberia urgently needs comprehensive judicial reform.
However, meaningful reform must extend beyond debates about the continued existence of jury trials.
It should include better professional training for judicial personnel, improved case management, stronger disciplinary procedures, transparent jury selection, adequate juror compensation, and credible mechanisms for investigating judicial misconduct.
The Judiciary should also examine whether existing legal sanctions against jury tampering are sufficiently clear, enforceable, and consistently applied.
Where legislative improvements are necessary, the Chief Justice can work with the Legislature to develop constitutionally permissible reforms.
Additional safeguards could include improved juror orientation, clear restrictions on unauthorized contact with jurors, confidential reporting channels, appropriate security arrangements, and independent investigation of credible allegations of interference.
These measures would address identifiable vulnerabilities without requiring the wholesale elimination of a constitutional right.
Moreover, Liberia must confront the wider challenges affecting access to justice.
Many ordinary citizens face financial and practical barriers when seeking legal remedies. Delays in judicial proceedings can impose substantial burdens on defendants, victims, witnesses, and their families.
Strengthening legal aid, improving court administration, reducing unnecessary delays, and promoting accountability would contribute directly to public confidence.
The Constitution itself provides the guiding principle: justice must be administered without sale, denial, or delay.
That constitutional obligation should remain central to any serious reform agenda.
The Chief Justice Has an Opportunity to Lead Meaningful Reform
Chief Justice Gbeisay occupies one of the most important constitutional offices in Liberia.
His leadership carries substantial responsibility for strengthening the Judiciary, promoting judicial independence, and protecting the constitutional rights of citizens.
His concern about jury corruption may reflect genuine frustration with persistent weaknesses in the administration of justice.
That frustration is understandable.
Nevertheless, frustration with institutional failures should not become the foundation for proposals that diminish constitutional protections.
The Chief Justice has an opportunity to lead a comprehensive reform process that strengthens jury management, improves judicial accountability, and restores confidence in the courts.
Such a process should involve the Liberia National Bar Association, the Ministry of Justice, lawmakers, civil society organizations, legal scholars, and ordinary citizens.
It should also be informed by credible evidence concerning the extent, causes, and consequences of jury tampering.
Before considering the abolition of a constitutional institution, policymakers should establish whether less restrictive reforms could effectively address the identified problems.
That is an essential question of sound public policy and constitutional governance.
Conclusion: Protect the Constitution, Reform the Institutions
Liberia’s democracy depends not merely on the existence of constitutional rights but on the willingness of public institutions to protect and enforce them.
The right to trial by jury is one of those protections.
It allows citizens to participate directly in the administration of justice and provides an additional safeguard within the judicial process.
The institution is not perfect. No justice system is immune from corruption, misconduct, or human error.
But institutional imperfections should inspire reform rather than automatically justify abolition.
Chief Justice Gbeisay has raised an important concern about the integrity of jury proceedings. That concern deserves a serious national conversation grounded in evidence, constitutional principles, and practical reform options.
However, the debate must recognize that abolishing jury trials would not, by itself, eliminate corruption or guarantee fairer judicial outcomes.
Liberia needs stronger judicial institutions, credible investigations, consistent enforcement of the law, and meaningful accountability at every level.
Mr. Chief Justice, if jurors are being bribed, investigate the bribery. If individuals are tampering with juries, prosecute them. If jury management is ineffective, reform it. If judicial corruption is widespread, confront it throughout the system.
But do not make the constitutional rights of Liberians the casualty of institutional failures.
The measure of judicial leadership is not how many constitutional safeguards can be removed in the name of efficiency, but how effectively those safeguards can be protected while ensuring that justice is administered fairly and impartially.
Liberia does not need fewer constitutional protections. It needs stronger institutions capable of enforcing them.
Mr. Chief Justice, fix the justice system. Do not abolish constitutional rights.
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