IPNEWS: Law Reform Commission (LRC) today begins participation in a three-day Legal Aid Draft Bill Engagement Dialogue (workshop) coordinated by The Center for Legal Aid and Support Service (CLASS) in collaboration with the Law Reform Commission (LRC) of Liberia with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and ActionAid.
The three-day Dialogue which commences today takes place at the European Union (EU) Delegation to Liberia Conference Hall in Mamba Point, Monrovia. Participants include LRC, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Senate & House Judicial Committee, civil society organizations, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia, the Liberia School of Law, among others.
The Law Reform Commission will spearhead the Legal Aid Stakeholders Engagement, in keeping with its mandate to review, reform and update absolute laws, help government ministries and agencies with their statutes, when need be, among others.
The opening session starts with overview of the stakeholders’ Dialogue (workshop) which will outlined by the Center for Legal Aid and Support Service (CLASS), followed by remarks from the LRC, UNDP, World Bank, EU, Irish Aid, Swedish Embassy, Senate & House Judicial Committee, Ministry of Justice, the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), among others.
Presentations of the two versions of the Legal Aid Bills will be made by the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The Legal Aid Draft Bill Stakeholders’ Engagement (workshop) which kicks off today, Tuesday November 18 ends on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
During this period of the engagement, there will be group works, review of the draft and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Bill, final collation of the group reports and presentation of synchronized draft Legal Aid and ADR provisions.
The LRC is being represented by Executive Director Cllr. Ramses T. Kumbuyah, Mr. James K. Kieh – LRC Program Director, Cllr. Joseph Tegli- Head of Statutes and Legal Drafting at the LRC, Atty. Joe Trokon Bryant – LRC Legal Research Officer, Atty. Armah Gobah – LRC Legal Research Officer, Ms. Atina Toe – LRC Executive Secretary and Siebo Williams – LRC Public Relations/Information Officer/FOI.
Expectation
The Legal Aid Bill when synchronized is expected that will provide a framework for more structured and coordinated legal support for poor vulnerable women, children and the elderly, when passed into law.
The Act will establish a legal framework that will set up an independent legal aid board to manage funds that will enable lawyers, and judicial practitioners to provide legal aid to vulnerable citizens and indigent who do not usually have access to legal services due to high fees.
Poor vulnerable people cannot hire legal counsel because lawyers are either expensive or scarce in some parts of the country, resulting in unfair trials, or prolonged pre-trial detentions.
And thus, the Legal Aid Bill when enacted into law will be key to providing access to justice for the vulnerable to ensure justice for all.
