The Ministry of Justice on Monday, October 27, 2025, convened a high-level roundtable discussion and technical session on the drafting of legislation to abolish death penalty, marking a significant step toward advancing human rights and aligning national policy with international standards.
The session held at the Ministry of Justice in Monrovia, was formally opened by the Deputy Minister for Administration and Public Safety, Cora Hare Konuwa, who welcomed participating partners, facilitators, and technical experts. In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister Konuwa, emphasized the government’s commitment to upholding the sanctity of human life and fostering a justice system grounded in fairness, rehabilitation, and respect for human dignity. She noted that the discussions reflect a shared vision among government institutions, civil society, and international partners to modernize the nation’s criminal justice framework.
Participants engaged in constructive dialogue on the legislative framework, comparative legal models, and transitional justice mechanisms that could support a humane and sustainable approach to criminal sentencing. The technical session also highlighted the importance of public awareness, judicial capacity building, and victim support systems in implementing such landmark reform. The Ministry of Justice reaffirms its dedication to consultation with all stakeholders as it moves toward the preparation of a comprehensive draft bill for consideration by the National Legislature.
The Technical session, held under the auspices of the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia, brought together representatives from the Liberia National Bar Association, Law Reforms Commission, National Legislature, Liberia National Police, Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Public Defenders, Independent National Commission on Human Rights, the Judiciary and host, Ministry of Justice and the Process is funded by the British Embassy in Liberia.
