The Supreme Court Justice-in-Chambers has issued a temporary stay order halting all proceedings in the ongoing Capitol arson-related case pending before the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “A,” for Montserrado County.
The directive, signed by Cllr. Sam Mamulu, Clerk of the Supreme Court, follows a petition for a writ of prohibition filed by J. Fonati Koffa and several other petitioners against Resident Circuit Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie and the Government of Liberia, represented by the Ministry of Justice.
In a communication dated March 2, 2026, Associate Justice Yussif D. Kaba, presiding in Chambers, has cited the parties to a conference scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
The Supreme Court’s notice formally states:
“By directive of His Honor Yussif D. Kaba, Associate Justice presiding in Chambers, you are hereby cited to a conference with His Honor on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the hour of 2:00 p.m., in connection with the above captioned case.”
The communication further orders an immediate suspension of proceedings in the lower court:
“Meanwhile, you are ordered to stay all further proceedings and/or actions in the matter pending the outcome of the conference.”
The stay effectively freezes the trial process until the Justice-in-Chambers reviews arguments surrounding the petition for a writ of prohibition-an extraordinary remedy through which a higher court restrains a lower court from proceeding in a matter alleged to be outside its jurisdiction or contrary to law.
Many legal pundits emphasize that the issuance of a stay does not determine the merits of the petition. Instead, it preserves the status quo while the Supreme Court considers whether the lower court should continue exercising jurisdiction over the case.
The respondents named in the petition include Resident Circuit Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie of Criminal Assizes “A” and the Republic of Liberia, acting through the Ministry of Justice in Monrovia.
Thursday’s conference at the Temple of Justice is expected to clarify whether the writ of prohibition will be granted, denied, or referred to the full Bench of the Supreme Court for further determination.
