Geneva/Monrovia/Nottingham, 21 July 2026 — Civitas Maxima, the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP) and the University of Nottingham’s Human Rights Law Centre have submitted a set of comments and recommendations to Hon. Augustine S. Chea, Chairperson of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee, on the draft bill to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia, prepared by the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia (OWECC). This draft bill is one of three currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is working to consolidate them into a single, final bill; we hope our comments will help inform that process.
The work on a bill to establish the legislative framework for a Liberian WECC has been ongoing for several years already. Since 2018, Civitas Maxima, the GJRP and the University of Nottingham’s Human Rights Law Centre have worked together on this issue, alongside local stakeholders and the UN. In July 2019, marking ten years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report first recommended the creation of a war crimes court, they organised a historic Legislative Conference on Accountability for Past Crimes in Liberia, held in Monrovia at the request of several Committees of the House of Representatives, at which Professor Olympia Bekou, Head of the International Criminal Justice Unit at Nottingham’s Human Rights Law Centre, provided expert advice on the draft legislation (see the 2019 press release). The current OWECC draft draws substantially on the bill first prepared by the Liberian National Bar Association and scrutinised at that conference.
The organisations welcome developments in the current draft, while still pointing out remaining areas that require further attention.
These include, but are not limited to, inconsistent terminology throughout the draft, a lack of clarity on the criminal responsibility of legal persons; the absence of genocide as a standalone crime and uncertainty about how the Court will reference procedures from other international and hybrid Courts and Tribunals.
“This draft legislation builds on years of work by Liberians and their partners to secure justice for the victims of the civil wars. We welcome the progress it represents, and we hope these comments help strengthen it further as it moves through the Senate.”
Alain Werner, Director, Civitas Maxima
“A number of the issues we raised in 2019 have been taken on board, which is encouraging. But some fundamental questions, particularly around the scope of the Court’s jurisdiction and how crimes are defined, still need to be resolved if the legislation is to meet international standards and function effectively in practice.”
Professor Olympia Bekou, Head of School, School of Law, University of Nottingham; Head, International Criminal Justice Unit, Human Rights Law Centre
“Liberians have waited a long time for accountability for the crimes committed during the civil wars. This bill is an important step, and we remain committed to working with the Senate to get the details right, so that the Court can deliver real justice once it is established.”
Hassan Bility, Director, Global Justice and Research Project
Civitas Maxima, the University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre and GJRP remain available to provide further technical assistance as the legislative process continues. In addition, as part of a broader coalition of international NGOs advocating for the timely establishment of a sustainable and functional accountability mechanism in Liberia, the organisations jointly support Liberia’s efforts to develop a strong and effective legislative framework for the WECC and have indicated their interest in participating in the public hearing and stakeholder consultations scheduled for October and November.
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About Civitas Maxima
Civitas Maxima is a Geneva-based non-profit organisation that works in partnership with local actors to fight impunity for war crimes and other serious international crimes, including through universal jurisdiction cases.
About the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP)
GJRP is a Monrovia-based organisation that investigates war crimes and other serious violations committed during Liberia’s civil wars, working in close partnership with Civitas Maxima.
About the University of Nottingham’s Human Rights Law Centre
The Human Rights Law Centre at the University of Nottingham conducts research and provides technical expertise on international criminal law and transitional justice, including support to the development of accountability mechanisms in post-conflict states.