Liberia

At the end of 2007, the Liberian Chief Justice appointed a steering committee to oversee the development of a training institute for judges, prosecutors and lawyers. This committee, which is chaired by the deputy Chief Justice with the president of the bar as the vice-chair, includes local stakeholders and NGOs, as well as members of the international community. ILAC has a seat on the committee, which has developed into an important coordinating mechanism for planning projects and programs for the development of the Liberian judiciary.

In February 2008 ILAC organized and funded a study visit to the US for three members of the steering committee, including the chair and the vice-chair. The purpose of the visit was to expose the delegation to innovative judicial training methods and mechanisms in the US and to build contacts with US counterparts.

The James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute was launched in June 2008 with a ceremony led by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The launch included a workshop for judges at different levels. As part of this workshop, the institute launched a Bench Book for Magistrates, which ILAC has initiated and produced together with the local UN administration, UNMIL, and the American Bar Association. The Bench Book represents an important step forward for the judiciary in Liberia, not only because it will be a comprehensive guide for the 300 magistrates throughout the country and will be used as the primary training tool at the institute, but also because of the inclusive process used in developing the book, in which judges at all levels have been involved.

The County Attorney Training Program that started in 2007 continued in 2008 with workshops being organized in different counties around the country. ILAC funds these training courses and runs them together with The Carter Center and a US consulting firm. At the end of 2008, seven such courses had been held, with 20 prosecutors attending each course.

In 2009 ILAC is planning to launch, in cooperation with the Liberian Supreme Court, a programme to train a number of court reporters.