-To improve access to justice for Liberians
By: Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The Liberia National Bar Association, on Friday, September 27, 2024, officially launched USD 120,1 59.77 – LNBA-UNDP Legal Aid Project dubbed Promoting Access to Justice Project.
The purpose of the project is to reduce the number of pretrial detainees in Montserrado County and improve access to justice for all Liberians. In an overview, Cllr. Frederick L.M. Gbeme, project manager, stated that one of the best ways to address prolonged pre-trial detention is to provide sustained pro bono legal aid services.
He estimated that 71.2% of detainees are subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention and that only a small number of cases are tried each year, thus undermining equitable access to justice. “It is worth noting that systemic weaknesses in the justice system undermines access to justice and due process.
In Liberia, pre-trial detention is unfairly managed and notoriously lengthy, with an estimated 71.2% of detainees subjected to extended or prolonged pre-trial detention, and even when cases go to trial, only a small number of cases are tried each year, thus undermining equitable access to justice. These systemic weaknesses contribute to prolonged pre-trial detention and impede access to justice.”
He added that the legal clinic will promote legal protection for vulnerable and indigent citizens through the provision of pro bono legal aid services. “The LNBA, having reasoned that one of the best ways to address prolonged pre-trial detention is to provide sustained pro bono legal aid services, developed a concept paper that triggered the signing of a low-value grant agreement on 25 July 2024 between the UNDP and the LNBA after numerous mutual rewarding engagements. The amount of the grant is One Hundred Twenty Thousand One Hundred Fiffy-Nine Dollars and Seventy-Seven Cents (USD 120,1 59.77).”
“The goal of this project is to sensitize, encourage, and promote legal protection for the vulnerable and indigent citizens through the provision of pro bono legal aid services for the most egregious cases by members of the LNBA as an alternate condition for renewal of practicing licenses,” he added.
Cllr. Gbeme revealed that through the project, the LNBA seeks to Sensitize and encourage members of the BAR to provide pro bono legal aid as one of the alternate conditions for the renewal of practicing licenses, Provide legal aid services for the most egregious cases to reduce docked overcrowding and pre-trial detention in Montserrado county; and as well educate citizens on how to access the LNBA Pro Bono Legal Aid Services and encourage indigents to take advantage of the opportunity tobaccess justice.
Meanwhile, the LNBA’s President Sylvester D. Rennie said the funding to reopen the clinic was a result of intense discussion with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
“After considering our plan, the UNDP released to us over US$121,000 for the opening of only the clinic in Montserrado County,” Rennie said during the training of lawyers and caseworkers who are going to work with the clinic.
He added that the funds are only for a year. “Within one year, we are going to release at least 200 pretrial detainees,” Rennie disclosed. The Legal Aid Clinic is being implemented by the LNBA in partnership with UNDP projects aimed at providing pro-bono legal services to those who cannot afford it.
“If we are successful with the Montserrado County project, we will be able to extend the project to other counties where we have the clinics,” Rennie added.
