Unity Party Loyalist Boakai Kanneh Set to Become Next Associate Justice

Mr. Boakai Kanneh

President Joseph Boakai is reportedly poised to nominate Cllr. Boakai Kanneh as the next Associate Justice of Liberia’s Supreme Court, a decision that has stirred concerns about the increasing politicization of the country’s judiciary.

Kanneh, brother of Gbarpolu County Senator Botoe Kanneh and former Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs, is a well-known figure within the Unity Party. His close ties to the ruling party and his history of public service under previous Unity administrations have led critics to question whether his appointment would further entrench partisan influence on Liberia’s highest court.

Liberia’s judiciary is already struggling with serious challenges. Years of political interference, allegations of corruption, and a backlog of unresolved cases have severely eroded public confidence. The World Justice Project consistently ranks Liberia near the bottom globally for judicial independence, reflecting widespread perceptions that the courts serve political interests rather than impartial justice.

This latest nomination follows President Boakai’s controversial appointment of Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay—considered by many as the least senior justice—as Chief Justice. Together, these moves have intensified fears that the Supreme Court is being shaped into a partisan tool for the Unity Party, rather than an independent arbiter of the law.

For many Liberians, the question is not about Kanneh’s qualifications, but about judicial independence. As the Executive prepares to formalize this nomination, the nation watches closely, aware that the Supreme Court’s role as a check on power hangs in the balance.

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Additional Sources

1. Law Reform Commission Boss Underscores Importance of Legislating Draft Insurance Law – The News Newspaper Online

2. Boakai Kanneh – Assistant Counsel at Sherman & Sherman Law Firm (LinkedIn)

3. Liberia: Over Allison's 'Multiple Identities' Saga – AllAfrica

4. Liberia: Law Reform Commission Proposes Amendment to LACC Act – FrontPageAfrica

5. Law Reform Chairman Wants Liberians Respect Rule of Law – MICAT

6. Troubling and problematic – The New Dawn Liberia

7. Liberia: Cllr. Boakai Kanneh “Severely Beaten and Left for Dead” – FrontPageAfrica