In this interview, I speak with Lofa County Senator Joseph Jallah — who along with Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence – has introduced two bills to establish Liberia’s war and economic crimes courts.
The bills have surprised the court’s proponents because they have seemingly come out of nowhere and they have some controversial elements that contradict a bill submitted to the legislature in 2021 by Liberian Bar Association. That bill had buy-in from most of the court’s advocates and was seen to be a starting point for new bills that must go to the legislature soon to trigger the start of the court. Critics say Jallah’s bills could slow down or undermine years of advocacy to establish the courts.
Support for this podcast came from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union. (Until September 2026, the program was supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and American Jewish World Service.)
