Ganta, Nimba County – More than 40 public defenders from Liberia’s 15 judicial circuits have gathered in Ganta City, Nimba County for a mandatory three-day Spotlight Initiative Training to sharpen skills in handling Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases.
By D. Franklin Doloquee
Organized by the James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute in collaboration with the EU-Funded Spotlight Initiative supported by UNDP, UN Women and UNFPA—the workshop launched Thursday, May 7 under the theme of enhancing expertise in Liberia’s amended Rape Law, SGBV provisions and juvenile court procedures.
Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay directed attendance, aligning with the Judiciary’s strategic plan for competent representation of indigent defendants.
National Association of Public Defenders of Liberia President Cllr. Bestman Darward Juah Sr. hailed the event as a milestone, noting it
empowers defenders in Montserrado County’s Criminal Courts and nationwide sexual offenses divisions.
“This training builds our capacity to effectively handle SGBV cases and represent indigent clients,” Cllr. Juah said. “We haven’t had such sessions in years and it’s a timely boost to our advocacy.”
Participants praised Chief Justice Gbeisay for redeploying defenders to rural magistrate courts reversing a prior withdrawal under former Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh.
In Montserrado, defenders now serve rural courts directly; in other counties, they travel to districts as needed. “We had a training gap, but this restores our capacity-building under Chief Justice Gbeisay’s leadership,” one defender told FrontPage Africa.
“We’re hopeful for regular sessions yearly.” Cllr. Juah expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice, government, EU, UNDP, UN Women and UNFPA, urging sustained funding. “We pray for continuous training to discharge our duties effectively,” he stated.
Spotlight Initiative Programme Coordinator Deodata Mukazayire emphasized targeting violence against women and girls, harmful practices and sexual/reproductive health rights.
She highlighted gaps like justice actors’ inadequate knowledge, survivors’ unawareness of laws and defenders’ limited SGBV expertise.
“Insensitive questioning retraumatizes victims and collapses cases,” Mukazayire warned, illustrating: “If I say something and you laugh, I’ll stop.”
Sessions promoted trauma-informed approaches, expedited processes beyond Criminal Court ‘E’ and solutions to logistical issues like transport shortages.
Meanwhile, the workshop underscores Liberia’s justice reform push amid surging SGBV caseloads, equipping defenders for fair trials, victim support and ending impunity in underserved areas.
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