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Amid criticism of his recent preferment by President Boakai as Associate Magistrate-Designate, Willeyon U. Gbeisay, son of Chief Justice Yamie Gbeisay, has resigned.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, Liberia; October 2, 2025 – Associate Magistrate-designate Willeyon U. Gbeisay, son of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, has finally tendered his resignation, following mounting criticism from internal and external forces, which was described as nepotism.
President Joseph Boakai recently appointed Willeyon U. Gbeisay as Associate Magistrate-designate of the Paynesville Magisterial Court, but the appointment had been greeted with stern criticism from within the Judiciary.
In a press release dated October 1, 2025, the Executive Mansion in Monrovia said that President Boakai has formally accepted the resignation of Associate Magistrate-Designate, Willeyon Y. Gbeisay.
The release further indicated that Mr. Gbeisay, in a communication addressed to the President, expressed gratitude for the preferment but tendered his resignation to continue his legal studies at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia.
The release said that Mr. Gbeisay further explained that his decision was made in good faith to avoid public misconceptions and to prevent any distraction from the ongoing reforms within the Judiciary.
“President Boakai thanked Mr. Gbeisay and commended his commitment to his personal and professional development.” The press release concludes.
The National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia (NATJL) and the Resident Judge of Lofa County, Nancy F. Sammy, recently criticized the appointment of Willeyon U. Gbeisay as Associate Magistrate-Designate, while his father sits as head of the Liberian Judiciary, something that was termed as a conflict of interest.
Section 9.7 of the Code of Conduct for Public Official says, “A public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in a civilian or military position in the agency or branch of Government in which he or she is serving, or have jurisdiction or control, any individual who is a Relative, as defined in Section 1.3.21 of this Code. An individual who is a Relative of a Public Official may not be appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in or to a military or civilian position in an agency or branch of Government if such appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement has been influenced or advocated by the Public Official. Any such appointment upon investigation shall be declared null and void. Upon being declared guilty in accordance with due process, the appointing authority shall be subject to dismissal, suspension or impeachment in accordance with due process.”
But Chief Justice Gbeisay over the weekend while paying an acquaintance visit to in Lofa County, sharply reacted to the NATJL communication signed by its President, Judge Nancy F. Sammy, regarding the appointment of his son by President Boakai to serve as magistrate in the judiciary, something, trial judges see as illegal and nepotistic.
Chief Justice Gbeisay had argued that it’s very wrong for Judge Sammy to have accused him of such allegation and raised such alarm when in fact, she is part of the very practice.
He noted that it’s wrong for one who is living in a glass house to throw a stone, and he who preaches equity should come with clean hands, and if anyone shows one finger at a person, additional four is coming in return, therefore, she should refer to herself on the subject matter.
“You are a Resident Judge; your husband, Cllr. Aaron Kpanlie is an Assistant Minister for Taxation. Also, his brother, who is your brother-in-law, Stanley S. Kpaline, is a member of the Good Governance Commission. So, if you say my son couldn’t serve, you have to resign. I have not violated any law.” Justice Gbeisay countered.
Defending his son’s appointment by the President, he said there was no violation of the law in his son’s appointment, and the subsequent appointment of non-lawyers as Magistrates.
According to the Chief Justice, few weeks ago, he recommended some magistrates to President Boakai, including his son, most of whom he claimed are law school graduates and students.
He explained that his son is a third-year law school student at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia, but that he (Chief Justice Gbeisay) has been receiving calls following the appointment of those magistrates and his son, especially a letter from the National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia, which came on Facebook, raising alarm.
He argued that the law and Constitution grant President Boakai rights to appoint people to the judiciary, but when it comes to stipendiary magistrate, the law mandates that the person shall be a law school graduate; therefore, if the President made an error in that direction, the Chief Justice can call the President to order.
Therefore, he contended that when it comes to the appointment of Magistrates and Associate Magistrates, the President has the power to do so, while defending the fact that his son is of age and is also a Liberian in law school, which he sees as qualifying him for the post.
He stated that the judiciary still has Magistrates, who are not lawyers, and they are on the payroll, while arguing that the fact that they decided to train university graduates to serve as Magistrates didn’t take away the President’s appointment power to appoint associate magistrates.
The Chief Justice further indicated that there are precedent cases in the judiciary where law school students were appointed to serve as Magistrates; therefore, the President is not wrong in appointing his son.
“So, I nominated him to the President, and the President sees him fit to appoint him. I don’t see anything wrong with that, Madam. So, the President and I didn’t violate any law; therefore, I can’t intervene and advise him. Now, if you can show me any law that prohibits the President from appointing a non-lawyer as an Associate Magistrate, I will resign; I challenge you. I know what the law is, but, unfortunately, the judges, who should interpret the law, don’t know the elementary basis of the law. Don’t make statements that will undermine the reform that my administration is undertaking.” Chief Justice Gbeisay concluded.
However, responding to the Chief Justice, the President of the National Association of Trial Judges, Judge Nancy F. Sammy, stated that a few days after the appointments were made by the President, the Associate Magistrates brought their complaint to her, saying that non-law school graduates had been appointed as Associate Magistrates in different areas.
Commenting on the issues that have to do with nepotism in her family, regarding her husband and brother-in-law serving in government, she said that her husband had occupied that position for a long time.
“Your Honor, you also raised the issue while you were speaking, saying that those who speak equity must come with clean hands, and you mentioned my husband. Yes, my husband is an Assistant Minister, and he has served in that capacity for 18 years. I met him while he was already serving in that position, before I even became a judge or married him. His job has nothing to do with the work I am doing now. So, I do not see any conflict of interest between his job and mine.” She contended.
“We are talking about the integrity of the Judiciary, Your Honor. So, when they provided me with that information, I told them: ‘Whatever information you are giving me, let it be credible, because I don’t want to raise issues on your behalf before it turns out to be false.’ Let it be legitimate.” She stated.
Accordingly, she added that they gave her the list of eight persons, and that is how she wrote a communication, requesting the Chief Justice’s intervention to safeguard the integrity of the Judiciary, something she claimed was the tone of her letter. Editing by Jonathan Browne
