The NEWS (Monrovia)
30 August 2004
Monrovia — Justice Minister Kabina Ja'neh has warned law enforcement and security officers against the use of prisons as centers for cruelty.
Minister Ja'neh said prisons should be seen as places where individuals are kept in keeping with the laws.
The Justice Minister spoke Saturday at the end of a five-day workshop for prosecutors, law enforcement and security officers at the Justice Ministry in Monrovia.
Minister Ja'neh said he was saddened from what he saw at the Police Headquarters recently.
Stopping short of describing what he saw at Police Headquarters, the Justice Minister stressed that security officers should "depart from such paths that would give negative impression about the prisons".
He said law enforcers should not lay a basis for a writ of habeas corpus against the Government, adding that, "the due process must be upheld".
"Let us not turn civil matters into criminal matters since we do not want to see our prisons as a center for cruelty", he said.
Minister Ja'neh told the more than 50 participants at the workshop that legal reform is one of the areas needed to be strengthened.
He called for the repealing of certain portion of the Penal Code of Liberia, urging the participants to lay a foundation for the rule of law following their training.
Minister Ja'neh assured that the Justice Ministry will ensure that the rights of the people are protected consistent with the laws.
The Director of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Judicial Section, Dr. Fofee, assured UNMIL's continuous support to the training of law enforcers and security officers.
He said the workshop was a new beginning for Liberia as such, he encouraged the participants to continue their work.
The five-day workshop was organized by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with UNMIL's Legal and Judicial System Support Division with support from the United Nations Development Program, UNDP.
The workshop highlighted key aspects of the Penal Law Provisions, Statutory Provisions on the functions and duties of law enforcement and security officers.
Other topics included Pre-trail proceedings and Strategy and Policy Making Aspects of Police.
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