Myean Torgbean
The President and CEO of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Fabian Michael Lai, has emphasized the critical role of the judiciary in Liberia’s emerging petroleum sector, urging judges to prepare for complex legal disputes tied to natural resource governance.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day training for Circuit and Specialized Court judges in Ganta, Nimba County, Lai said the program marks a historic step in equipping the judiciary with knowledge of oil and gas law and policy.
He stressed that future disputes will require judges to understand technical industry issues, contract structures, and fiscal terms that govern petroleum exploration and production.
The event brought together senior judicial figures, including the Chief Justice of Liberia, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, and former Chief Justice Gloria Maya Musu-Scott, alongside members of the judiciary and NOCAL officials.
Lai warned that Liberia’s oil future will attract highly sophisticated international actors and legal teams, often seeking to shift disputes to foreign arbitration. He urged judges to strengthen their understanding of petroleum rights, ownership structures, and contract clauses such as stabilization and force majeure provisions.
He said the training aims to empower judges to safeguard national interests by ensuring disputes involving Liberia’s natural resources remain within the country’s legal jurisdiction.
Lai concluded by encouraging participants to actively engage, ask questions, and deepen their expertise, describing the judiciary as central to ensuring transparency, accountability, and the rule of law in Liberia’s anticipated oil era.
