Monrovia-When presidents are called to order for remarks at times considered unwholesome, it means a lot for his image, protection and national integrity. Sometimes, it is not about “eating show” or “showing disrespect” as it may be seen or construed by some. Instead, it is to ensure institutional decency, respect as well as public confidence. For Liberia’s democratic governance, rule of law stands as an indispensable cornerstone, and that is why anything that has the potential to blot it, is always fought to the teeth. And as President Boakai’s satirical joke seems to reflect, this is why Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe’s reaction seems to become necessary. Stephenie M. Duncan of our staff reports.
A satirical remark by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. intended as courtroom humor has ignited a serious debate about justice, judicial independence, and public confidence in Liberia’s courts.
Prominent Liberian lawyer, law professor and former presidential candidate Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, taking on the president, has sharply criticized the President for joking that while a good lawyer knows the law, a better lawyer knows the judge, saying such a statement should never come from the President of Liberia, even in jest.
Gongloe said although President Boakai may have intended the remark as humor, it sends a dangerous message about the legal profession and risks normalizing a culture in which personal connections with judges are viewed as more important than knowledge of the law, evidence, and the merits of a case.
During a public engagement this week, President Boakai, himself not a lawyer but now Commander-in-Chief of a country where judicial corruption remains a major public concern, jokingly remarked “A good lawyer knows the law, but a better lawyer knows the judge.”
The comment, a well-known cynical quip in legal circles around the world, drew laughter in the room. But outside, it drew fire, with Cllr. Gongloe firing back in a strongly worded response, saying the President’s words carry weight far beyond the occasion where they were spoken, at a time when Liberians are openly questioning whether justice is for sale and whether connections matter more than the law.
According to Gongloe, the President’s joke could unintentionally validate the very perception that the administration says it is fighting, that cases are won not by argument, but by access.
“A lawyer should succeed because the judge knows the law, follows the law, and applies it impartially,” Gongloe said, arguing that lawyers should be trained to know and apply the law, master legal procedures, observe professional ethics, prepare evidence, and argue cases based on their merits, not on their proximity to the bench.
“No lawyer should succeed in court because of personal access to a judge,” he stressed, noting that judges are bound by their oath to be guided by the law and apply it impartially, without fear or favor.
Gongloe, a former solicitor general of Liberia, maintained that the issue goes beyond etiquette or presidential humor. It touches the core of public trust, emphazising “Liberia deserves a justice system where the law, not connections, decides cases. This is bigger than a joke. It is about the professional culture we want to build.”
He said public officials, particularly the President who appoints judges and oversees the enforcement of court decisions, should be mindful of statements that could undermine public confidence in the justice system, even if intended satirically.
Cllr. Gongloe called on lawyers, law students, judges, professors and ordinary citizens to reflect on the standard that should be taught to the next generation of legal professionals.
The backlash to Boakai’s joke comes against a troubling backdrop. For years, legal surveys, US State Department Human Rights Reports, and public opinion polls have ranked Liberia’s judiciary among the least trusted institutions, with citizens complaining about delays, bribery, and political interference.
The Boakai administration came to power promising to strengthen the rule of law under its ARREST Agenda. The President himself has repeatedly said he wants to rebuild citizens’ confidence in the institutions that serve them, a line he used just days ago in his UN General Assembly address.
Gongloe, a former President of the Liberia National Bar Association and a longtime critic of judicial corruption, said the President’s satire cuts against that promise at a time when President Boakai is preaching accountability and rule of law to the world.
Gongloe argued that the president must also model it at home, not with jokes about knowing judges, but with actions that ensure judges know the law.
About The Author
