In a resounding legal victory, the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “B”, has overturned a ruling from the Monrovia Traffic Court against former Solicitor General Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, declaring that the lower court acted beyond its legal boundaries and rendered a verdict unsupported by law or evidence.
The ruling, delivered on July 8, 2025, by Presiding Judge Ciapha Carey, nullifies a previous judgment by Traffic Court Judge Korser Zubah, which had found Cllr. Cephus guilty of operating a vehicle with expired registration documents. That decision had imposed a US$50 fine and required Cephus to present proof of payment before reclaiming his driver’s license.
But Judge Carey was unequivocal in dismantling the lower court’s ruling.
“The Court, after carefully analyzing the evidence, the documents in the case file, and the controlling law, is convinced that the ruling of the Traffic Court Judge, not being supported by any law and lacking sufficient evidence, is hereby set aside, overruled, and dismissed,” the Judge ruled.
Central to Judge Carey’s decision was the absence of legal or factual grounding for the Traffic Court’s action. He ruled that the lower court failed to provide “incontrovertible evidence” showing that Cllr. Cephus had violated Section 3.7 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law or any related statute.
He also declared the traffic ticket issued to Cephus as “erroneous and arbitrary” and vacated it in full, “as if it had never been issued.”
In his ruling, Judge Carey faulted the Traffic Court for intruding on responsibilities that legally belong to the Ministry of Transport. Citing Revised Code 12:37.3 (a), (d), and (e) of the New Executive Law, the judge clarified that only the Ministry, in cooperation with the Liberia National Police (LNP), holds the authority to regulate and issue vehicle registration documentation.
“It is therefore quite weird and mindboggling,” Judge Carey added, “that the court below… arrogated unto itself a solemn duty of lawmaking and pathetically proceeded to find the appellant guilty of a bogus charge of ‘no registration,’ which is not provided for under the Vehicle and Traffic Law.”
The case stems from an incident on May 10, 2025, when Cllr. Cephus was stopped by Inspector Ben Johnson (ID#4875) and the Chief of the LNP Traffic Unit on 10th Street in Sinkor. His vehicle, license plate A58327, VIN# KNALM4158BCA060358, was cited for lacking valid registration.
The Traffic Court later ruled that Cephus’s registration expired on April 24, 2025, and used this to justify its ruling under Section 3.7 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. But Cephus quickly filed an appeal, submitting a 16-count Bill of Exceptions in which he argued that he had already applied for renewal on May 9, 2025, well within the law’s allowable grace period.
In siding with Cephus, Judge Carey emphasized that the Traffic Court not only misapplied the law, but also failed to appreciate the limitations of its own authority. He underscored that traffic enforcement officers cannot unilaterally impose penalties regarding vehicle registration without coordination from the Transport Ministry.
“This Court says it is absolutely inconceivable how the appellee arrived at the conclusion that the appellant was guilty of ‘no registration’ in the absence of taking proper evidence,” he stated.
The ruling concluded with a strong rebuke of the lower court’s judgment, calling it a “palpable error” and ordering the immediate return of Cllr. Cephus’s driver’s license.
This decision could have broad implications for how traffic violations, especially those involving vehicle documentation, are handled in Liberia. By reinforcing the statutory authority of the Ministry of Transport and highlighting the limits of the Traffic Court’s jurisdiction, the ruling redefines the boundary between law enforcement and administrative oversight.
As of press time, the Liberia National Police and the Monrovia Traffic Court have not issued any official response to the ruling.
