Africa-Press – Liberia. Cllr. Charlyne Brumskine has called for the evolution of the Liberia National Bar Association so that “no lawyer is above the law, and no judge is beyond question.”
In her keynote remarks at the Bar National Assembly over the weekend, Cllr. Brumskine — whose father was one of Liberia’s most venerable legal minds — questioned the integrity of the legal system, which she says is not free from corruption.
According to Cllr. Brumskine, the country’s legal system needs a new dimension where systems — “our disciplinary committees, our courts, our county bar associations — do not just protect us, but challenge us to live up to the oath we took.”
“Corruption in the legal sector is not merely a flaw — it is a betrayal,” said Cllr. Brumskine in her keynote address, which included Chief Justices among others in the audience. “[Corruption] erodes public trust, it compromises the impartiality of our institutions, and it sends a dangerous message that justice can be bought, delayed, or denied.”
In a rare public rebuke of the country’s legal system, Cllr. Brumskine argued that when a bribe changes the course of a case, when a file goes missing mysteriously, or when influence overrides evidence, it does more harm than just committing an injustice.
“We break faith with the people we are meant to serve,” she added. “So let us not fear accountability—let us embrace it. Let us demand it of ourselves, our colleagues, and our institutions—not with hesitation but with boldness. Because where accountability flourishes, corruption dies, and the law begins to breathe again.”
According to Cllr. Brumskine, it is time for the Bar to evolve, understanding that accountability is not an attack on the legal profession but a blessing, which tells the public that they can trust us — and that “trust is the true currency of justice.”
Cllr. Brumskine added that corruption not only damages individual cases but also harms the entire legal ecosystem. It undermines the credibility of the bench, the integrity of the bar, and the very concept of the rule of law.
“And so, we must constantly ask ourselves — not just as individuals, but as a legal community: Are we silently tolerating the very practices that weaken our profession from within? Let us be bold in our honesty. Let us be brave in our reforms. For a legal system cannot protect rights, cannot offer redemption, and cannot call itself sacred — if it is for sale.”
“Corruption may offer quick rewards, but it steals from our nation’s soul. Every bribe taken is a brick removed from the foundation of trust. Every dishonest act is a delay in our destiny,” said Cllr. Brumskine at the two-day Bar Assembly, which ran from April 4–5. “So, I urge you: Be incorruptible. Be unshakable. Be the example the nation needs. Let your word be your bond, your name be your honor, and your legal practice be your prayer for a better Liberia.”
She further emphasized that the Bar must ensure it policies its own, demonstrating to the Liberian people that the law is still sacred.
The legal system, Cllr. Brumskine, argued, embodies the nation’s collective conscience and the soul of the country—for which lawyers “must continue to be its fiercest guardians.”
“When we discipline one of our own, we show Liberia that the law is still sacred,” Cllr. Brumskine added. “I conclude by saying that in a nation that continues to rise from the challenges of its past and shape its place in a complex global future, your role—our role—has never been more urgent or more sacred.”
In earlier remarks, Cllr. Bonor Varmah, National President of the Liberian National Bar Association, noted that the country is at a critical juncture where the rule of law, access to justice, and the integrity of legal institutions are being tested like never before.
According to Cllr. Varmah, lawyers should understand that they are guardians of justice, the voice for the voiceless, and the architects of a legal system that must serve all Liberians fairly and equitably.
“The challenges before us — ranging from judicial independence to access to legal representation for the indigent, from upholding constitutional democracy to ensuring accountability for past and present injustices — demand not just our legal expertise but our collective commitment to action,” said Cllr. Varmah.
Cllr. Varmah then reminded his colleagues of the importance of ensuring that the legal profession remains at the forefront of efforts to make justice not just an ideal, but a reality for every Liberian.
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