LIBLAW Report Shows Rise in Supreme Court Output, Calls for Targeted Reforms
February 26, 2026
MONROVIA, Liberia – February 23, 2026 – LIBLAW has released its maiden edition of Measuring Justice Report 2025, revealing a significant increase in judicial output by the Supreme Court of Liberia, while calling for targeted reforms to strengthen jurisprudence and procedural efficiency.
The report, launched Tuesday February 24, 2026 in Monrovia, introduces a new annual empirical assessment of Liberia’s justice system, focusing primarily on the performance of the Supreme Court.
According to LIBLAW, the initiative was developed in response to growing public debate about judicial performance, often shaped by isolated rulings and anecdotal commentary rather than sustained data-driven analysis.
“The legitimacy of the judiciary is strengthened not diminished; when its work can be examined, understood, and evaluated against clear standards,” Cllr. Kim A. Harris, Managing Director at LIBLAW said
She described the publication as a deliberate effort to promote evidence-based discourse on judicial efficiency, accountability, and independence. The significant increase in decisions among its key findings, in the MJuR 2025 reports states that the Supreme Court issued 125 decisions during the 2025 calendar year.
The decisions included 117 majority opinions, six judgments without opinions, and two dissents. The figure represents a substantial rise compared to approximately 59 opinions in 2024 and 65 opinions in 2023, signaling what LIBLAW describes as a “marked increase in judicial output.”
The report also notes a high level of consensus on the Bench, with 98.3 percent of opinions delivered unanimously while dissents were recorded in only two instances throughout the year.
Appeals Rarely Succeed from trial courts continue to dominate the Supreme Court’s docket, but the report indicates that most appeals are unsuccessful.
Of the 54 appeals reviewed from lower courts, 63 percent were denied, while 37 percent were granted. The study further shows that the Full Bench demonstrated considerable deference to rulings by Justices sitting in Chambers.
Of 11 such rulings reviewed, 91 percent were affirmed, including decisions affirmed with modifications, while only one ruling was reversed with strong Backing for Ethics Institutions.
According to the report, the Supreme Court also largely upheld the recommendations of its ethics oversight bodies. Of nine matters reviewed from the Judiciary Inquiry Commission (JIC), 89 percent were affirmed, including those affirmed with modifications.
Similarly, 86 percent of 14 matters reviewed from the Grievance and Ethics Committee (GEC) were affirmed. The report highlights differences in disciplinary outcomes, noting that ethical violations by judges more frequently resulted in suspensions, while lawyer misconduct was typically addressed through remedial measures such as restitution and letters of apology. Judges accounted for five of the six suspensions handed down by the Supreme Court in 2025.
Recommendations for Reform
Despite the improved output, LIBLAW identified procedural challenges that continue to hinder the efficient administration of justice. The report points to a high rate of case dismissals on procedural grounds and recommends targeted reforms to improve record transmission, enhance case-tracking systems, and strengthen compliance with appellate rules by legal counsel.
According to the report, such measures would help reduce avoidable delays and ensure that more appeals are decided on their substantive merits rather than technicalities.
Founded in 2021, LIBLAW combines technology, academic research, and local expertise to produce legal and social science analysis aimed at informing national and international policymakers.
With the release of the Measuring Justice Report, the institution says it intends to provide an annual benchmark for assessing the performance and development of Liberia’s justice system.
