Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh

Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh
Yuoh in 2019
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia
Incumbent
Assumed office September 27, 2022
Preceded by	Francis Korkpor
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia
In office 2013 – September 27, 2022
Personal details
Born	Montserrado County, Liberia
Alma mater	Cuttington University Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law

Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh is a Liberian judge and politician who currently serves as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia and was nominated on August 23, 2022.^[1] She began to serve after the retirement of former chief justice Francis Korkpor on September 27, 2022.^[2]

Early life and education

Yuoh was born in Montserrado County and educated at a Catholic high school in Monrovia. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Cuttington University (1978) and a Bachelor of Laws from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia.^[3]

Career

Yuoh worked in the Liberian government, as an assistant minister for legal affairs from 1983–1985 and as the coordinator of African affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1988–1990.^[3] From 2000–2003 she worked for the Central Bank of Liberia, where she came under criticism for receiving "excessive Board of Director fees',^[4] before serving as acting executive director and then commissioner of the Law Reform Commission from 2011 until 2013.^[3]

In 2013, Yuoh was appointed as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, one of two women among the court's five justices.^[3][5]

In April 2016, a Roberts International Airport security officer was imprisoned for a week on contempt charges after Yuoh complained that he had disrespected her.^[6][7]

In October 2016, Yuoh lifted a stay order on the holding of the election for speaker of the House of Representatives, declining Alex J. Tyler's plea that he was removed unconstitutionally leading to the election of her husband's friend Emmanuel Nuquay.^[8][9][10]

In March 2017, Yuoh was one of the three justices to vote in favour of the controversial new National Code of Conduct which prohibits officials appointed by the president from engaging in political activities.^{[11][12][13][14]}

On August 23, 2022, President George Weah nominated Yuoh to replace Francis Korkpor as chief justice, as he planned to retire in September.^[1] Korkpor retired on September 27.^[2]

Personal life

Yuoh was married to politician Edwin Snowe,^[15][16] who was previously married to the daughter of Charles Taylor. She has ten children and two grandchildren.^[3]

References

1. Karmo, Henry (August 19, 2022). "Liberia: Associate Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh Tipped for Chief Justice Post". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
2. "Chief Justice Korkpor Retires Today". New Republic Liberia. September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
3. "Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh". The Judiciary of Liberia.
4. "Central Bank Of Liberia Spent US $5m On Public Relation To Generate $14m". The Perspective. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
5. Brooks, Cholo (19 July 2017). "Justice Youh, Three Other Liberian Female Judges End All-Women Regional Conference in Abuja". Global News Network Liberia. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
6. "RIA Security Officer Set Free From Monrovia Central Prison". Front Page Africa. 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
7. Brooks, Cholo (5 April 2016). "Liberia Returns To Jungle Justice As Judiciary, Legislature Sentence Man To Prison For Performing His Duty". Global News Network Liberia. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
8. Sonpon III, Leroy M. (7 October 2016). "Liberia: Speaker Picks 15-Man Special Committee". Daily Observer. All Africa. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
9. "House elects new speaker". The New Dawn. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2017.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
10. Tarr, Agnes M. (11 July 2017). "Liberia: VP Boakai Picks His Presidential Running Mate". News Of Africa. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
11. Worwee, Sylvester (17 May 2017). "Unification Day is useless, says MOVEE's Vice Chair". Farbric Radio. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
12. Davis, Abednego (6 March 2017). "Liberia: Supreme Court Votes in Favor of Code of Conduct". Daily Observer. All Africa. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
13. Al-bakri Nyei, Ibrahim (4 May 2017). "The Code of Conduct Act and Liberia's 2017 election". Africa Research Institute. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
14. Armah, Alston C. (11 May 2017). "Code of Conduct: A Murky Cloud Over The 2017 Elections?". Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
15. Johnson, Bettie (6 October 2016). "Liberia: Supreme Court Declines Shuns Prohibition On Tyler's Removal - Nuquay Elected Speaker". Front Page Africa. Retrieved 20 July 2017 – via allAfrica.
16. "Taxpayers Foot Housing, Fuel, Meals, Travel Expenses For Supreme Court Justices". Travel Wire News. 28 April 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.

Legal offices
Preceded by Francis Korkpor	Chief Justice of Liberia 2022–present	Incumbent