MONROVIA – LIBLAW, Liberia’s premier legal technology and research institution, in the maiden edition of its Measuring Justice Report (MJuR) 2025, revealed an increment in judicial output from the Supreme Court of Liberia despite a need for targeted reforms to strengthen jurisprudence.
By Francis G. Boayue
The Report, released in Monrovia, Tuesday, February 23, 2026, is a new annual publication that uses empirical methods to examine how Liberia’s justice system—particularly the Supreme Court—functions in practice.
This was born out of the fact that, in recent years, public debate about judicial performance has intensified, often driven by isolated decisions, anecdotal experience and commentary rather than sustained analysis.
Amongst many others, the report responses to that gap by presenting a facts-based assessment of the Supreme Court’s activity during the 2025 calendar year, including case disposition patterns, opinion output by individual Justices, and the Court’s institutional interaction with trial courts, Justices sitting in Chambers, and the Judiciary Inquiry Commission (JIC) and Grievance and Ethics Committee (GEC).
“The legitimacy of the judiciary is strengthened—not diminished—when its work can be examined, understood, and evaluated against clear standards,” said Cllr. Kim A. Harris, Managing Director at Liblaw, describing the report as a deliberate step toward evidence-based discourse on judicial efficiency, accountability and independence.
There is marked increase in judicial output. The Supreme Court issued 125 decisions in 2025, comprising 117 majority opinions, 6 judgments without opinions, and 2 dissents—a substantial increase from approximately 59 opinions in 2024 and 65 opinions in 2023.
“There is high consensus at the Supreme Court. 98.3% of opinions delivered during the year were unanimous opinions of the Full Bench as constituted in each case, with dissents recorded on only two occasions. Appeals from trial courts dominate the docket of the Supreme Court but rarely succeed. Of 54 appeals from lower courts, 63% were denied and 37% granted,’’ the report states.
“The Supreme Court accords significant deference to decisions of colleague Justices presiding in Chambers. Of the 11 rulings issued by Justices sitting in Chambers and reviewed by the Full Bench, 91% were affirmed (including with modification), while one was reversed.’’
“The Supreme Court largely upholds the work of its ethics institutions. Of 9 Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) matters reviewed, 89% of the recommendations were affirmed (including affirmances with modification). Similarly, of 14 Grievance and Ethics Committee (GEC) matters reviewed, 86% were affirmed (including modifications),’’ the report intimates.
“Ethical violations by judges more frequently resulted in disciplinary measures such assuspensions, while lawyer misconduct was more often addressed through remedial sanctions such as restitution and letters of apology. Judges accounted for five of six suspensions by the Supreme Court during the year,’’ the report asserts.
The report also advances several recommendations aimed at strengthening jurisprudence. In particular, given the high rate of case dismissals on procedural grounds, it calls for targeted reforms to improve record transmission, enhance case-tracking systems, and strengthen counsel compliance with appellate rules, in order to reduce avoidable delays and ensure that a greater number of appeals are resolved on their merits.
Founded in 2021, Liblaw combines technology, rigorous scholarship, and local insight to produce high-quality legal and social science research that informs national and international decision-makers, drawing on both Liberian and global experts to advance thought leadership in West Africa.
