MONROVIA, Jan. 28 -- The absence of justices from Liberia's Supreme Court at President Joseph Boakai's second State of the Nation Address on Monday became a focal point of national discussion, diverting attention away from the substance of the President's speech.

While Article 58 of the Liberian Constitution mandates that the President report annually to the legislature on the state of the nation, it does not require the judiciary to be represented. Nonetheless, it has been a longstanding tradition for the justices of the Supreme Court to attend this critical event.

Leading up to the address, speculation mounted regarding the possible absence of the justices. Charles Yates, a prominent Liberian journalist, predicted on social media that...