Illness Stalls Taylor’s Court Hearing

By Lincoln G. Peters

MONROVIA, Liberia, September 2, 2026 — Lawyers representing former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor have informed the Monrovia City Court that their client is “presently unwell” and have requested a one-day postponement of her preliminary examination to allow her to seek medical attention.

In a communication dated September 1, 2026, and captioned “Request for Continuance,” Taylor’s legal team asked Stipendiary Magistrate Cllr. L. Ben Barco to postpone the proceeding from Tuesday, September 1, to Wednesday, September 2, at a time convenient to the court.

The lawyers said the former vice president wants to participate fully in the preliminary examination but needs to consult a physician familiar with her medical history before returning to court.

“Her Excellency, Former Vice President Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, is presently unwell,” the lawyers wrote.

They said Taylor had requested that the Ministry of Justice allow her to be examined by a physician familiar with her medical history.

According to the communication, the requested postponement would enable Taylor to consult her physician on September 1 and receive the necessary medical attention before resuming the court proceedings.

“In order to facilitate her consultation with her physician on September 1, we respectfully request that her matter scheduled for hearing on Tuesday be continued from September 1 to September 2 at the time convenient for Your Honour,” the lawyers stated.

They added that the postponement would allow the former vice president “to receive the necessary medical attention before resuming proceedings before this Honourable Court.”

Taylor’s legal team includes former Supreme Court Associate Justice Kabineh M. Ja’neh, Cllr. Finley Y. Karng and Cllr. Laveli Supuwood, among others.

The request comes as Taylor faces ongoing legal proceedings connected to Liberia’s major cocaine-trafficking investigation.

A continuance is a formal request for a court to postpone a scheduled hearing or proceeding to a later date. Such requests may be made for medical or other reasons, but the decision to grant or deny a continuance rests with the court.