The Liberia Law Reform Commission (LRC) has launched a US$3.04 million five-year strategic plan to modernize the country's legal framework, review outdated and discriminatory laws, digitize legal records, and strengthen institutional capacity, with the government expected to provide 95% of the funding required for implementation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was officially launched Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, at the commission's headquarters in Mamba Point, Monrovia, bringing together senior government officials, representatives of the United Nations and other development partners.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Ministry of State, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, National Elections Commission, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Providing an overview of the plan, LRC Executive Director Cllr. Ramsey T. Kumbuyah said the commission's mandate dates to Executive Order No. 20 in 2009 and Executive Order No. 25 in 2010, before its formal establishment through an act of the Legislature on June 10, 2011.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Kumbuyah said the strategic plan aligns with Pillar III of the government's ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which focuses on the rule of law.
He disclosed that the plan has an estimated implementation cost of US$3.044 million, with 95% expected from the government, 3% from development partners and 2% from the commission's own resources.
According to Kumbuyah, the plan is organized around four priorities: law reform, codification, gender and human rights, and institutional strengthening.
Under the law reform component, the commission intends to conduct continuous reviews of existing legislation, identify inconsistencies, recommend amendments and repeals, develop proposed laws and provide legal advice to government institutions.
The commission also plans to support constitutional reform initiatives and strengthen the legal framework governing public administration and national development.
The codification component focuses on researching, compiling and publishing Supreme Court opinions and legislative enactments, including the Liberian Law Reports and the Liberia Codes of Law Revised.
Kumbuyah said the commission intends to improve access to legal information by ensuring that laws and judicial decisions are properly documented and made available to legal practitioners, public institutions and citizens.
Under the gender and human rights component, the LRC plans to review legislation affecting women, children and vulnerable populations, including the Rape Law and laws governing inheritance, property ownership and marital rights.
The commission will also examine differences between statutory and customary marital rights and work toward incorporating international human rights instruments into domestic legislation.
These include the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Maputo Protocol.
The institutional strengthening component will focus on digitizing legal instruments, establishing a legal information database and website, securing permanent office accommodation, training staff and acquiring vehicles and other logistical resources.
Kumbuyah said the commission expects to provide legal advice to the presidency, Legislature, ministries, agencies and commissions while developing a legal information portal and completing legislative reviews by 2030.
However, he identified inadequate funding, limited logistical resources and insufficient coordination among government institutions as challenges confronting the commission.
He disclosed that some proposed laws are submitted and enacted without consultation with the LRC, despite its statutory responsibility to review and recommend legal reforms.
Kumbuyah also cited the lack of vehicles, insufficient resources for codification and limited funding for professional training as obstacles to implementation.
He said the commission has identified financial, technological, strategic and operational risks and intends to address them through resource mobilization, staff development, technological improvements and logistical support.
Officially launching the plan, LRC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah said the initiative establishes the commission's institutional priorities for the next five years.
"Today, we are not merely launching a document. We are declaring an institutional vision and setting in motion a five-year journey to reposition the LRC as a credible, responsive, professional, and forward-looking institution," Varmah said.
He maintained that modern legislation is necessary for effective governance, economic development and institutional accountability.
Varmah said the commission intends to strengthen its role as a national legal research and legislative drafting institution, supporting government agencies in developing and reviewing legislation.
He identified several ongoing reform initiatives, including the proposed National Railway Authority Act, intended to establish a framework for a multi-user railway system.
Other priorities include reviewing Liberia's mining legislation, developing national health insurance and family court legislation, and supporting reforms in technical and vocational education.
Varmah also referenced proposed reforms involving the National Road Fund, Road Authority, insolvency legislation and nonperforming loans, including work being undertaken in collaboration with the Central Bank of Liberia.
He thanked President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and development partners for their support, emphasizing that the strategic plan would serve as a framework for monitoring the commission's performance and accountability.
Meanwhile, UNDP Resident Representative Aliou Mamadou Dia, who served as chief launcher, reaffirmed the agency's commitment to supporting the commission's reform agenda.
Dia said the strategic plan aligns with UNDP's Country Programme 2026-2030 and identified institutional capacity development, digital transformation, stakeholder coordination and resource mobilization as areas of continued cooperation.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He also welcomed the commission's plans to improve public access to legal information through an online portal.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights similarly pledged technical assistance toward implementation of the plan.
"I just want to say that OHCHR remains at the side of the LRC to support the implementation of the plan. Of course, through various levels of support, the provision of technical support and insights," an OHCHR representative stated.
Representing Gender Minister Gbeme Horace-Kollie, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection Garmai S. Torkpah called for legal reforms that address challenges affecting women, children and persons with disabilities.
"Somewhere in Liberia today, a 13-year-old girl is being told she cannot inherit her father's land because the law is silent," Torkpah stated.
She pledged the Gender Ministry's collaboration with the commission to review laws affecting vulnerable populations and strengthen legal protections.
A representative of the Office of the Legal Adviser also emphasized the relationship between legal protections, investment and public confidence.
"When investors are confident that our laws are there to protect them, when the citizens are confident that the laws are there to protect them, then we know we have a Liberia that we can call a safe Liberia," the representative said.
