The Liberian Judiciary plays a vital role in providing legal services, ensuring access to justice, and promoting peace, as mandated by the 1986 Constitution. Despite its critical importance to national development, the Judiciary has faced significant challenges due to insufficient resources which has limited its ability to perform its constitutional responsibilities fully.

The existing number of law clerks (5) supporting the five Justices on the Supreme Court Bench is inadequate to deal with the existing caseload on the Court’s docket and, at the same time, take on the expected pre- and post-complaints and challenges that may be associated with the 2023 Presidential and General Elections. This situation usually caused significant delays in processing documents and preparing case files for both regular and election cases before the Supreme Court resulting in the suspension of the hearing of regular cases during the election period in most instances.

The Need for Support in 2023

The success of the 2023 elections was equally important for the nation as its outcome remained critically essential to promoting and sustaining the growth of democratic stability for Liberia’s social and economic development. The Judiciary Branch of Government hence sought support from UNDP and Partners for the temporary engagement of a team of legal practitioners, supervised by a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, to strengthen the Court’s capacity to allow it to proceed with the hearing and determination of cases on regular appeal whilst at the same time attending to electoral matters coming before the Court.

“In response to these challenges, key partners, particularly UNDP, provided crucial support to enhance the Judiciary's capacity. These interventions were particularly vital during the 2023 elections, where timely election dispute resolutions were necessary to maintain national stability and uphold the integrity of the electoral process,” said Counselor William B. Kollie, Assistant Court Administrator, Supreme Court of Liberia.

UNDP provided essential support, which enabled the Judiciary to improve its operational capacity by hiring additional staff and providing logistics focused on addressing the Judiciary’s resource and operational gaps, ensuring that the necessary infrastructure was in place to handle the increased workload during the election period.

“UNDP facilitated the recruitment of five legal practitioners to assist the Supreme Court with legal research, case analysis, and drafting opinions for election-related cases. This significantly eased the workload on the Justices, allowing for more efficient case handling and ensuring that all electoral matters were resolved within the statutory period,” narrated Cllr. Kollie.

Chief Justice SIE-A-NYENE Yuoh amplified the gains from UNDP’s support. “I'm pleased to say that for pre-election cases, we only had nine as compared to the past, where pre-election cases were about 20. And we only had 12 post-election cases and one withdrawal. And we know the overwhelming numbers that have been obtained in the past. So, in this public manner, we want to thank UNDP for the support at all levels”.

She said bridging the logistical and operational gaps through UNDP support, helped the Judiciary process cases more quickly, a vital part of streamlining a smooth workflow.