MONROVIA, Liberia, August 13, 2026 — Liberian journalists have raised concerns over delays in legislative action on bills seeking to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court and National Anti-Corruption Court, questioning when the proposed judicial institutions will become operational.
The concerns were raised during the opening of a two-day media training organized by New Narratives to strengthen journalists’ understanding of the proposed courts and Liberia’s transitional justice process.
Participants questioned why the Legislature has yet to pass the draft legislation establishing the courts and sought clarity on when they could become operational.
Speaking on behalf of Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia (OWECC-L) Executive Director Dr. Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu, Associate Director for Media and Public Affairs Christopher K. Sellee Sr. acknowledged growing public interest in the process.
Sellee urged journalists to continue drawing attention through their reporting, headlines and commentaries to the need for legislative action on the proposed courts.
In May 2026, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai renewed OWECC-L’s mandate through Executive Order No. 164. The Office has also completed two draft bills—one seeking to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court and the other the National Anti-Corruption Court.
Sellee said legislative action is now critical to moving the process forward, while OWECC-L continues preparations for the institutional framework required to make the courts functional once the necessary laws are enacted.
He explained that although the two proposed courts are complementary, they would have different mandates.
The War and Economic Crimes Court is expected to address serious crimes associated with Liberia’s civil conflicts, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and other grave offenses falling within its jurisdiction.
The proposed National Anti-Corruption Court, meanwhile, would provide a specialized judicial forum for corruption cases, particularly those involving public officials, public resources and state institutions.
According to Sellee, OWECC-L has developed a national roadmap outlining the major steps required to move from legislation to fully operational institutions.
The roadmap covers legislative action, institutional development, national consultations, financing, recruitment and training, investigative and prosecutorial arrangements, judicial administration, witness and victim protection, evidence management, infrastructure and public engagement.
Sellee said establishing credible courts would require qualified judges, prosecutors, investigators and administrators, as well as adequate financing, appropriate procedures, secure evidence-management systems and safeguards for victims and accused persons.
He cautioned against relying on previously projected timelines for the courts to become operational, stressing that progress largely depends on legislative action.
The training also examined why the National Anti-Corruption Court could potentially become operational before the War and Economic Crimes Court.
Establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court could require extensive historical investigations, preservation and reconstruction of evidence, identification and protection of witnesses and survivors, international cooperation, specialized prosecution and procedures capable of meeting high standards of due process.
Sellee said any decision on which court becomes operational first would therefore be based on “institutional readiness, not preference.”
The comments place renewed attention on the Legislature, where passage of the enabling legislation remains a critical step toward formally establishing the two proposed courts.
