MONROVIA, December 16 (LINA)-Arguments in the petition for the writ of prohibition filed by independent senatorial candidate Robert Sirleaf versus the Republic of Liberia failed to get underway Tuesday at the Supreme Court in Monrovia.
The lawyer representing petitioner Sirleaf Tuesday filed a motion for continuance because he says the Supreme Court has denied the writ of prohibition earlier filed by leaders of political parties and civil society groups which led the National Elections Commission (NEC) to declare campaign open for the holding of the Midterm Senatorial Election.
Cllr. Matthias Omejia, Jr. of the Omejia & Associates Law Firm informed the court that his client was considering consulting his supporters whether to pursue the case or abandon it in the wake of the resumption of campaign activities.
Cllr. Omejia also said another reason for which his client has requested the court for continuance is due to the resolution that came out of the recent meeting with NEC and stakeholders in the political process.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has fined Government lawyers headed by Solicitor-general Cllr. Betty Lamin Blamo US$200.00 for filing their briefs late.
The court said the lawyers should have filed their briefs not later than last Monday.
Mr. Robert A. Sirleaf, an independent candidate in the ensuing Special Senatorial Election recently filed a writ of prohibition and the subsequent issuance of the peremptory writ of prohibition against the Government of Liberia for the promulgation of Executive Order No.65.
According to him, Executive Order #65 is unconstitutional in that it violates the fundamental rights of the citizens of Liberia as enshrined in Articles 11, 13, and 18 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.
In a related development, arguments in the constitutionality of Executive Order #65 filed to the Supreme Court by 14 lawmakers of Montserrado County versus the Government of Liberia by and through the Ministry of Justice were not also heard on Tuesday.
The lawyer representing the 14 lawmakers, Cllr. Kannie Wesso, told the Supreme Court Tuesday that his clients have informed him about their intention to withdraw the case because campaign activities for the holding of the senatorial election were already ongoing, and as such there was no need to continue to pursue the case.
In response, the court said it has taken note of the positions of the petitioners and urged them to return and make legal their respective positions and not verbally.
LINA