Cllr. Massaquoi's appointment to spearhead the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has sparked the controversy surrounding reliance on Cllr. Massaquoi's fairness in the balance between justice for victims and the complexities of his legal representation in post-conflict societies.
The War and Economic Crimes Court campaigners echoed serious"misgivings" concerning Cllr. Massaquoi's role as a defense lawyer for perpetrators of alleged war crimes, surmising conflict of interest, adding that they were baffled by an endorsement of Cllr. Massaquoi, by US Congressman Chris Smith, without contemplating seriously the allegation of Massaquoi's role in defending alleged war fugitives. They called on the international community's attention to their qualms.
Against said backdrop, they clarified that Article 21. of the 1986 Constitution states,"the right to counsel and the rights of counsel shall be inviolable. There shall be no interference with the lawyer-client relationship.
The office noted that the non-interference with the lawyer-client relationship, and absolute immunity from any sanctions or interference in the performance of legal services as a counselor or advocate is not unique to Liberia but constitutes a fundamental pillar of international crime law. It further:"We shall take recourse to the International Criminal Court, , and the United States of America. On February 12, 2021, Mr. Karim Ahmad Khan was elected the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court . Before his election, Mr. Khan between 2006 and 2007 served as the lead defense counsel to former President, Charles Ghankay Taylor, and Mrs. Fatou Sankoh, wife of Foday Sankoh before the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone .