Liberia’s justice system faces significant challenges, including overloaded court dockets, limited access to courts for many citizens, and prolonged pre-trial detention, which contributes to prison overcrowding.
These issues disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable groups.
To address these concerns, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through its Rule of Law Program, drafted a Legal Aid Bill in 2021.
According to a release, the bill aims to establish a structured and coordinated framework for legal aid services, strengthening access to justice and reducing systemic inequalities.
While the 2021 draft was under review, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, developed a similar bill focused primarily on gender-related legal aid services.
Both drafts, the release said, share the same goal, enhancing access to justice, but differ in scope: the MoJ draft takes a holistic approach, while the Gender Ministry’s draft spoke of gender dimensions.
The country is now working to consolidate these drafts into its first-ever Legal Aid Bill.
The proposed legislation, the release said, seeks to create a national legal framework for legal aid; establish a Legal Aid Fund, and an independent Legal Aid Board to coordinate services; ensure structured support from lawyers and civil society organizations (CSOs) and reduce pre-trial detention and ease court congestion.
To advance this process, the Center for Legal Aid Support Services (CLASS), with support from ActionAid Liberia, UNDP, and the European Union, convened a three-day national consultative workshop.
Participants included the Law Reform Commission (LRC), CSOs, INGOs, and representatives from the MoJ, and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.
The event focused on harmonizing the two drafts into a single consolidated bill for submission to the legislature.
The workshop achieved consensus on key provisions, ensuring clarity and inclusivity in the bill.
UNDP said, it remains committed to support governance reforms and strengthen national resilience.