training. Signifying the country’s commitment to establish a State based on the rule of law,
Liberia has taken the following steps towards legal reform and protecting and promoting access
to justice.
Legal Reform
40.
Following the recommendation of the Rule of Law Task force and in accordance with
Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, the Law Reform Commission was established on June 11,
2009 by Executive Order No 20. Since its establishment, the Commission has reviewed and
recommended major revisions to, among others, the Commercial Code, the Insurance Law, the
Civil Procedure Law, the Judiciary Law, the Property Law and the Prison Reform Act. Further,
the Commission has researched and compiled the customary laws of the country and collected
and indexed the opinions of the Supreme Court of Liberia. Currently, the Commission is
reviewing the Hinterland Regulations, the Law on Persons with Disabilities, and examining the
codification of the laws of the country.
41.
The Republic of Liberia understands that citizens could face problems accessing justice
because citizens are not aware of their rights, justice institutions in the rural areas are remote,
slow and unaffordable, or because they are biased and discriminatory. Accordingly, Liberia has,
and is taking the following measures to promote citizens access to justice.
Geographic Access to Justice
42.
To effectively decentralize the security and justice services in Liberia, five regional hubs
are being instituted throughout the country from where security and judicial services can be
easily accessible to the underserved countryside. Each of the hubs will contain a court house,
Law enforcement personnel offices and a public outreach and service office. The presence of
public defenders, county attorneys, correction and human rights officers, who will be deployed��
in the hubs as well, further contribute to enhanced justice delivery in the regions.
Access to Competent and Independent Judiciary
43.
In January of 2008, Liberia established the James A.A. Pierre Judicial Training Institute.
The Institute, which aims to improve the qualification and competency of all judicial actors, has
quarterly training programs for Judges, Magistrates, public defenders and court reporters.
Further, the Professional Magistrates Training Program (PMTP), which was launched in March
2010, successfully trained and deployed sixty‐three (63) college graduates to serve as qualified
magistrates across the country. At present, Liberia has managed to assign qualified county
attorneys and public defenders, who are law School graduates, throughout the 15 political
subdivisions of the counties.
44.
In a positive development to improve the independence of the judiciary and curb
corrupt practices, the country has increased the salaries and benefits of qualified judges,
magistrates and associate magistrates, and has significantly improved the Judiciary Inquiry
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