Africa-Press – Liberia. A non-governmental organization, Serving Humanity for Empowerment and Development (SHED) in partnership with the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice has committed to upholding fundamental human rights and accelerating trial timelines following a crucial two-day training in Gbarnga City, Bong County for thirty-six legal practitioners, including judges, magistrates, public defenders, and attorneys, from four counties.
The training, held on November 20-21, 2025, was hosted by SHED Liberia with support from the European Union (EU) and in partnership with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).
The event is part of the project, “Strengthening Democracy and Respect for Fundamental Human Rights of Prisoners in Liberia,” which aims to improve conditions across five of Liberia’s prisons.
Legal professionals from Nimba, Bong, Margibi, and Grand Cape Mount Counties engaged in intense discussions on International Human Rights Standards and their application in domestic courts, strategies for reducing pre-trial detention (PTD) and facilitating timely trials, and also addressed critical issues like prison overcrowding and poor detention conditions.
Participants focused on how to align Liberia’s correctional system with global benchmarks, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules and other human rights instruments, to ensure humane treatment and justice for all detainees.
Madame Joyce Queeglay Pajibo, SHED Liberia’s Executive Director, emphasized that transforming the justice sector is a shared national responsibility.
“This collective effort is vital for building a more democratic, just, and rights-respecting Liberia,” Madame Pajibo stated in her closing remarks.
“We must all muster the courage to always do the right thing, no matter the situation. It is therefore up to us all to decide whether we stay on the right side of justice or follow our personal interest,” she stressed.
She further called on the government to increase its part by improving and expanding prison facilities to properly accommodate inmates.
For their part, the participants unanimously agreed to apply the knowledge gained to ensure fair judgment and the proper management of cases, specifically committing to fair trials and the protection of prisoners’ rights while in detention.
To strengthen future efforts, participants forwarded several key recommendations to the organizers which include financial support to courts to facilitate speedy trials in cases where complainants lack the resources to process their proceedings, and also include prison superintendents in future training sessions to ensure uniform knowledge acquisition across the correctional system.
The training concluded with optimism that the shared knowledge and commitments would lead to meaningful reform in the treatment of detainees and the overall administration of justice in Liberia.
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