The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has committed to supporting the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) on a 12-month project financed by the U.S Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) worth of $120,159.77 with the initial amount of $72,092.27 applied by UNDP.

The project titled: “Promoting access to Justice through pro bono legal aid representation” focuses primarily on two activities which are to engage with the LNBA regarding the development and enforcement of mandatory provisions regarding pro bono legal aid as a condition for the renewal of practicing licenses, and to provide legal aid services for critical cases identified by the working group on a need basis.

The goal is to sensitize, encourage, and promote legal protection for vulnerable and indigents by providing pro bono legal aid services. 

Speaking at the project’s launch on September 27, UNDP’s Resident Representative a.i Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah said the partnership with the LNBA, UNDP, and the INL, represents a collective commitment to enhancing legal aid services in Liberia.

He noted that these legal aid services are critical in improving access to justice for Liberia’s most vulnerable populations.

Echoing the UNDP Representative’s remarks, the Chief Justice of Liberia, Her Honor Sie–A–Nye G. Yuoh noted that, cases remain unresolved in Maryland County because lawyers and prosecutors do not make it to court claiming challenging road conditions as an excuse. 

The Chief Justice therefore urged legal practitioners to fulfill their obligation to serve the people despite their locations. She emphasized that the judiciary exists to serve everyone.

Although the project will focus on Montserrado County, she appealed to legal practitioners to fulfill their duties and attend court hearings even in rural areas.

Promoting access to Justice through a pro bono legal aid representation project is a continuation of a successful project implemented by the LNBA in the past and it will be implemented with renewed strength to enhance activities of pro bono legal aid services provision in Montserrado County by reducing pretrial detention during twelve months.

The project will render legal aid services to indigent citizens of Liberia who do not have the means of hiring or acquiring legal representation for which said citizen is in pretrial detention. 

The project will, in collaboration with the established Working Group of relevant justice actors including LNBA case workers, derive standards and criteria to review and select cases of prolonged pretrial detention, and forward cases selected, to the LNBA Legal Aid management team to the appropriate legal attention to reduce case backlog and prolonged pretrial detention. 

In attendance at the launch, were the Minister of Justice, Councilor N. Oswald Tweh, members of the LNBA, and representatives from the Swedish Embassy near Monrovia.