Monrovia-June 22, 2021: The Liberian Senate has responded to President George Weah’s 2019 letter about providing recommendations on the way forward on the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court. The Senate, in a lengthy document has adviced the president to set up the Transitional Justice Commission (TJC) and said Commission should be enacted into law.

The Liberian Senate believed that the function of the Transitional Justice Commission should be but not limited to following:

To determine why the TRC recommendation has not been timely and fully implemented;

To determine whether the TRC fully comply with it’s mandate,such as face to face meeting between perpetrators of crimes and other offenses and their respective victims;

To examine the effect of the 2003 act of the legislature, which granted general amnesty to all participants in the civil crisis; To analyze credibility, legitimacy issues surrounding the fiscal report of the TRC in respect of the fact that four(4) of the Commissioners had serious issues with the report and consequently,two of the Commissioners did not sign the final report,but instead presented a dissenting report.

To examine the effect of the rectification, ascension to the Time statute in 2004(after the end of the civil crisis) on the establishment of a war crimes court; To consider the separation of the establishment of a war crimes court, which has international dimension from the establishment of a Economic crimes court, which already exist within liberia judiciary and for which prosecution can take place using domestic law.

To consider the effect of the constitutional and other legal implications of prosecuting war crimes at a war crimes court,when domestic law and criminal court for the same offenses exists and to also consider the constitutional implications of appeals from decisions from a war crimes court,as the Constitution provides that the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of all legal proceedings and every person has absolutely and unfettered right of appeal to the Supreme Court;

To review the work and recommendations of the TRC,when necessary,and make additional recommendation when necessary,such as how far back in Liberia’s history should the transitional Justice process go,and

To plan and implement programs and activities to solicit the opinion of the majority of Liberians on the issues of retributive justice versus restorative justice (War crimes court,South Africa style and Reconciliation Commission)

Here’s the volume of the recommendations in these pages below: