Judicial employees resist credentials audit

 Judicial employees here, who are undergoing verification and credentials audit, have vehemently challenged employment statistics released by the Civil Service Agency, putting the total employees in the Judiciary at 1,517.

By Lincoln G. Peters

Monrovia, Liberia; August 29, 2025 – Liberia’s newly commissioned Chief Justice, His Honor, Yamie QuiQui Gbeisay, Sr., comprehensive personnel verification and credentials audit across the judiciary branch of government was greeted with resistance and criticism on Thursday, August 28, 2025, following a 2019 employment data from the Civil Service Agency.

 Both the Judiciary and the Civil Service Agency officially launched the comprehensive personnel verification and credentials audit here, for the judiciary. During the occasion, Dr. Josiah Joekai, Director General of the Civil Service Agency, stated that the average workforce of the judiciary comprises 1,517 employees, based on the 2019 data available.

Based on the data provided, the entire Supreme Court Conference Room was filled with employees of the judiciary and judges, who shouted in protest, challenging that the data is inaccurate and can’t be used because it has an expiration date of approximately six years.

 According to some employees who spoke on condition of anonymity, the data quoted by the CSA boss doesn’t align with contemporary times, as the number of employees has increased since that time, and they are aware of this because they are directly paying judicial employees.

 “For the CSA boss to say that the current workforce employees of the Judiciary that they are paying is one thousand, five hundred seventeen, and using 2019 data for 2025, is wicked and evil, because the data is not accurate and comprehensive. He knows the number; therefore, let him stop the deceitful act and witch-hunting.” The upset employees counter.

Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr., on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, ordered a comprehensive Personnel Verification and Credential Audit across the Judiciary Branch of Government.

 The exercise is being executed in partnership with the Civil Service Agency (CSA). Commencing August 28 and running through September 4, 2025, the audit will initially focus on the 1st and 6th Judicial Circuits in Montserrado County, including the Temple of Justice and several magisterial courts.

 According to a statement from the Judiciary’s Public Information Office, the audit aims to ensure that all judicial personnel possess requisite academic qualifications and professional experience to effectively carry out their duties.

 Officially remarking during the program, Chief Justice Gbeisay expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the CSA for honoring his request and joining the Judiciary in efforts to save waste and make the government effective, efficient, and competent.

 According to him, the Judiciary branch of government is an institution of integrity; therefore, to erase the perceptions of corruption in the judiciary, they have decided to first engage the credibility individuals in positions.

 “In keeping with our vision to reform the judiciary, we today embark on the crucial need to restore and improve integrity in the judiciary; we have decided to engage in a robust and transparent personal verification and credentials audit of our employees. This audit and verification will enable us to maintain the highest standard of transparency and accountability. Let us ensure that this process works. Let us be cooperative. I want to thank the CSA boss and his team for coming to help us in this work free of charge”, he said.

 In response, the Director General of the CSA, Josiah Joekai, disclosed that the CSA already has the payroll of the Judiciary therefore, it’s easier for them to do the verification, as employees will be verified with their National Identification Number in the system from the last digit, which will bring the entire information of an employee and later end with the file information management.

 According to him, the process will involve employees bringing their credentials, participating in a head count to identify ghost employees, and reclassification, all with the consent of the institution through its Human Resources Department’s approval, to ensure the process proceeds smoothly.

 However, he clarified that if ghost names are identified on the payroll, they will immediately block such names until they can prove otherwise, as the exercise is intended to ensure that the government saves money and removes incompetent personnel from the payroll to reclassify the system.

 “As we were coming here and called upon to do the audit, we decided to come and share with you the data of your workforce to give us a picture. As of 2019, we realized that the Judiciary’s workforce comprises 1,517 employees across the entire judiciary branch and all counties. We also realized that of that number, 275 are based in Montserrado County, amounting to about 15.2%. So, the 275 employees in Montserrado, we want to see them and know who they are, what they are doing, and their qualifications for these positions. So, we break the judiciary workforce down per county.” Josiah concluded. Editing by Jonathan Browne