Liberia: Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh Nominated to Chief Justice Post
President George Manneh Weah has nominated Associate Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh to the post of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, pending confirmation by the Senate.
If confirmed, Yuoh will be the third female Chief Justice in the history of the Liberian Judiciary. Her female predecessors include former Justices Frances Johnson Morris (Allison) and Gloria Musu Scott.
She is currently the third justice in succession to the Supreme Court with judicial oversight on Grand Cape Mount County, which is home of the 5th Judicial Circuit which sits on criminal, civil, and probate matters. The 5th Judicial Circuit has three (3) specialized Courts and oversees the functions of a total of five (5) magisterial courts located across the county. The other is Bomi County, which is the home of the 11th Judicial Circuit which sits on criminal, civil, and probate matters. The 11th Judicial Circuit has three (3) specialized Courts and oversees the functions of a total of two (2) magisterial courts located across the county.
Lastly, Gbarpolu County, home of the 16th Judicial Circuit which sits on criminal and civil matters and is housed in the Judicial Complex in Bopolu City. The 16th Judicial Circuit has three (3) specialized courts and oversees the functions of a total of four (4) magisterial courts located across the county
Yuoh was born in Montserrado County and obtained her high school education and a diploma from St. Teresa’s Convent, a Catholic High School in Monrovia in 1974. Thereafter she enrolled at the Cuttington University College (CUC), now Cuttington University (CU), in Suakoko, Bong County, in pursuit of her tertiary education where she graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Political Science.
In 1979, Yuoh enrolled at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, where she was trained as a lawyer. In 1981, she successfully completed her law studies at this institution and obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, and was subsequently admitted into the Liberia National Bar Association as an Attorney-At-Law. Her Honor was also admitted as Counsellor-At-Law of the Supreme Court Bar in 1988.
Yuoh began her public and professional service within the Executive Branch, Republic of Liberia, first at the Ministry of Justice as an Assistant Minister for Legal Affairs from 1983 – 1985, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Coordinator, African Affairs, 1988 – 1990, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) as Corporate Secretary/Assistant Legal Counsel/Secretary, Board of Governors of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) from 2000 – 2003 and lastly at the Law Reform Commission, where she served as Acting Executive Director and Commissioner respectively from July 2011 – April 2013.
Yuoh also extended her professional legal services within the private sector where she served as Associate and Legal Counsel at the David A.B. Jallah Law Firm, on Johnson Street, Monrovia Liberia, from 1994 – 2000.
In 2013, Madam Justice Yuoh was nominated, appointed, and subsequently commissioned as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Yuoh has proudly served as Vice President of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) from 1994 – 1998; was a founding member of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) and served as its 1st Vice President from 1997 – 1998; Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) from 2012 – 2013 and also served as President of the Maryland County Local Bar Association in 2013.
Justice Yuoh is married, and she and her husband, are blessed with ten (10) children and two (2) grandchildren.