Monrovia, Liberia — Josiah Wiah was named valedictorian of the Professional Magistrates Training Program Cycle V (PMTP V) at a graduation ceremony held Friday, July 17, 2026, in the Ground Floor Hall of the Temple of Justice on Capitol Hill. Addressing President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, Sr., and dozens of judicial and government officials, Josiah Wiah used his valedictory speech to trace a personal journey from wartime displacement to the bench.
From Wartime Sinoe County to the Temple of Justice
Josiah Wiah was born in Gbartala, Bong County, during the height of Liberia’s civil conflict, and his family fled to the remote village of Jedepo Cheboken in Sinoe County. With no schools or hospitals nearby, his mother became his first teacher, giving him a head start once peace returned. “By the time peace returned, I had already advanced to the first grade in what I proudly call ‘my mother’s school,'” he told the audience.
Wiah credited the Liberian government with funding his education at every stage — from primary school in Gbokakollie through his university studies at A.M.E. Zion University — and again for sponsoring his year at the James A. A. Pierre Judicial Institute. He also thanked his fiancée, Towah Beauty Mannie, and his brother, Representative Samson Quejue Wiah of Sinoe County, for their support during difficult periods in his career.
Top of a Demanding Class
Josiah Wiah was named best-performing graduate among 64 magistrates who completed the year-long program, which combined coursework in criminal and civil procedure, judicial ethics, legal writing, and courtroom management with hands-on mentoring. He credited his study group, nicknamed “The Great Eight,” with helping him through what he described as a year of difficult examinations and sleepless nights, and stressed that the honor belonged to the entire graduating class rather than to him alone.
A Pledge Against Corruption
In his address to the Chief Justice and Associate Justices, Wiah pledged that the newly trained magistrates would reject corruption “in all its forms” and would not compromise justice for personal gain, political influence, or social pressure. He argued that public confidence in Liberia’s Judiciary depends heavily on the conduct of magistrates at the grassroots level, since magistrate courts are often a citizen’s first contact with the justice system.
Calls for More Funding and Law School Access
Wiah used part of his speech to appeal directly to the Government of Liberia for continued and expanded budget funding for the Professional Magistrates Training Program, warning that several magisterial courts across the country remain understaffed. He also asked Liberia’s two law schools, the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law and the Liberia School of Law, to consider a special admission pathway for Judicial Institute graduates in recognition of the program’s rigor.
Looking Ahead
Josiah Wiah‘s graduating class adds 64 newly trained magistrates to Liberia’s judicial system, with several expected to be deployed to underserved rural courts. Closing his remarks, Wiah urged his fellow graduates to build careers defined by fairness, integrity, and courage. “History will not remember us merely because we graduated from this program,” he said. “It will remember us for the lives we touch, the justice we uphold, and the legacy we leave behind.”
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