08/31/2007

The court process is very slow and there is a very large backlog of cases. Witnesses, including crime victims, have to attend numerous court hearings and they receive no assistance with their travel costs. Cases are usually referred to courts in the capital, which increases travel costs.

There are more than 300 magistrates in Liberia, but only 5 are legally trained. Of the County Attorneys only one is legally qualified. City Solicitors prosecute cases before the magistrate courts; none of them are legally-qualified. The judiciary and public defenders are currently receiving some training and supervision from a US-funded project run by a private contractor, PAE. But it is clear that many parts of the Liberian justice system still suffer from a chronic lack of qualified human resources and funding.