Agnes Reeves Taylor

In June 2017, the British Metropolitan Police arrested Agnes Reeves Taylor, Charles Taylor’s ex-wife. She was charged with torture for her alleged involvement in atrocities committed by Charles Taylor’s rebel group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), during the First Liberian Civil War (1989-1996).

Ms. Reeves Taylor was charged with seven counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture in connection with her involvement with the NPFL during the First Liberian Civil War (1989-1996). The Metropolitan Police investigated the facts for several years and the case was ready to proceed to trial in 2019.

On December 6, 2019, the Central Criminal Court dismissed the charges against Agnes Reeves Taylor.

A historic UK Supreme Court ruling confirming that members of non-State armed groups may be prosecuted for crimes of torture under UK law, initially paved the way for the case against Ms. Taylor to proceed to trial. However, when the case was remitted to the Central Criminal Court, following the Supreme Court’s ruling, they found that the evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was insufficient to prove that the NPFL had the requisite authority over the relevant territory, and dismissed the case.

Civitas Maxima and the GJRP provided the initial information to the UK authorities which led the Metropolitan Police to investigate Ms. Reeves Taylor.