Democracy Advancement Program (DAP) Phase Two
Outcome 3: Access to Justice in Rural Communities
We are pleased to share a summary of the intensive advocacy, community engagement, and strategic partnerships we pursued in June 2026. Our mission to strengthen the rule of law across Liberia remains as strong as ever. Here is a look at the milestones we recently achieved:
1. Expanding the Reach of "Justice on Wheels
Our flagship initiative, Justice on Wheels, continues to deliver tangible results by bringing legal services directly to vulnerable communities and individuals who need them most.
Securing Freedom for Prolonged Pre-Trial Detainees (June 8 - 26, 2026): During the month of June, our legal team successfully secured the release of 37 individuals from prolonged pre-trial detention at the Monrovia Central, Bondiway, and Kakata prison compounds, in Montserrado and Margibi Counties. We are actively dismantling the barriers of prolonged pre-trial detention through collaborative fast-track trials with the RIA, Bondiway, Kakata, and Brewerville Magisterial Courts. Proceedings were conducted both on-site at prison facilities and within the main courtrooms.
Our volunteer lawyers moved the courts to dismiss criminal cases against individuals held for months, and in some cases over a year, without trial. Because the state failed to meet statutory prosecution deadlines, these dismissals served as a necessary civil society intervention to uphold judicial integrity. This intervention was not a judgment on the merits, but a vital stand to protect constitutional rights, reduce unlawful detention, challenge systemic delays, and ensure the judiciary remains accountable. Individuals released from prison were charged with crimes that included theft of property, burglary, disorderly conduct, and simple assault, all of which are offenses less serious than felonies but more serious than infractions, with a jail term on conviction of up to a year. We extend our sincere gratitude to our volunteer lawyers, Attys. Al Varney Rogers and Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, and Cllrs. Alvin W. Yelloway and Sundaiway N. Amegashie, and to the local justice actors for their dedication and cooperation.
Community Legal Empowerment: Sawabenu extended its legal outreach to the suburban and rural communities of Cotton Tree Market, the Cotton Tree Hatai Center, and Compound Larkay-Ta along the Bong Mines Road near Kakata, as well as Coleman Farm, Plumkor, Moulton Corner, Blacktom Town, and Central Careysburg in Montserrado County. This initiative reached 134 participants comprising men, women, and youth who reflect the basic social structures of these areas. The team held vital legal awareness sessions that fostered a space that addressed personal and community legal challenges. Additional topics covered included the criminal justice process, citizens' constitutional rights, the roles of the police, prosecutors, magistrates, and courts, the jurisdictional limits of traditional leaders, and the procedures for reporting criminal offenses.
Women represented 56.7% of participants overall, reflecting a strong demand for legal knowledge among women in these communities. During the sessions, volunteer lawyers received and addressed material legal inquiries from participants regarding land rights, domestic violence, child support, and criminal procedure. By equipping citizens with knowledge of their rights, the organization is building a more informed and resilient society.
We are deeply grateful for the continued support of the Embassy of Sweden and our partner, Naymote, in making this work possible.
2. Building Strategic Partnerships for Systemic Change
During the month of June, Sawabenu took significant steps to influence the broader justice landscape through high-level institutional collaboration.
Strengthening Witness Protection (June 2026): Our leadership team met with Hon. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby, II, Director, and his team of the Witness Protection Agency (WPA), to discuss the vital role of protecting witnesses and whistleblowers. We are committed to partnering with the WPA to demystify the fear of retaliation and ensure that all Liberians can participate in the justice system safely. Sawabenu also participated in the WPA's recent stakeholders' engagement on the proposed amendments to the WPA and the Whistleblower Protection Act. During the session, the organization contributed to establishing a civil society and WPA multistakeholder platform, designated as the National Witness and Whistleblower Protection Coordination Platform. This platform is designed to bridge the gap between grassroots, civil society, and state agencies, track institutional responsiveness, share threat intelligence for rapid response, coordinate lobbying, amplify policy advocacy, and support WPA accountability. The platform is currently in its development stages.
Collaborating with the Law Reform Commission: Sawabenu leadership held a productive engagement with the Chairman of the Law Reform Commission, Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah. Our discussion focused on bridging the gap between formal statutes and customary laws. Sawabenu will be providing field-level data and research to support the Commission’s mandate, ensuring that future policy reforms are inclusive and grounded in the practical realities of Liberians in both rural and urban areas.
Sawabenu Legal Aid Hotline
Since the launch of the hotline in early 2025, SAWABENU has continued to operate its legal aid hotline (0555304040 & 0777304041) by providing direct legal guidance and support to community members across multiple counties in Liberia. We continue to build on substantive inquiries received and, through our in-house lawyers, address legal inquiries from the public. The geographic spread of callers beyond Grand Bassa, Bong, Nimba, Margibi, and more areas in Montserrado Counties demonstrates the growing reach and recognition of SAWABENU’s legal aid services.
Some of the reported hotline cases reflect the breadth of justice challenges confronting communities across the country, and the table below is a segment of cases received and addressed.
Sawabenu Radio Programming
Throughout 2026, SAWABENU's three partner radio stations, Radio Joy Africa 97.5 MHz, Radio Peace 96.5 MHz, and Voice of Rural Montserrado 89.3 FM in Margibi and Montserrado Counties, have maintained continuous jingle broadcasts and delivered interactive talk shows, serving as both a public education platform and an alternative channel for community members to access vital legal information. Public awareness efforts on access to justice reached a significant milestone during this period through extensive multilingual radio broadcasts and interactive discussions. Pre-recorded legal awareness jingles are aired daily in Simple English, Pidgin English, Bassa, and Kpelle, ensuring full accessibility for the diverse linguistic communities in Margibi and Montserrado Counties, with approximately 150 messages broadcast per station each month.
Complementing the daily jingles, regular interactive radio talk shows are conducted under the banner of the featuring SAWABENU Program Officer Atty. Franklin Wadjie and Acting Executive Director Cllr. Sarnyenneh M. Dickson as guest speakers, successfully generating a combined 55 audience calls between April and June to address pressing community legal questions and concerns. Some topics of focus have included property and land rights, the difference between civil and criminal cases, the illegality of trial by ordeal and why, how the criminal justice system works, law enforcement’s use of reasonable force, and the use of the search and seizure writ, etc.
Bong Mines Women in legal refresher and mentoring session
Justice Stakeholders discusses at dialogue in Compound 1
Radio talk show session on Radio Kwatekeh with volunteer lawyers
Cocopa Magistrate addresses legal awareness meeting
Justice on Wheels engagement at the Gbarnga Magisterial Court
Scene at Owensgrove Women's Legal Refresher
This material is been produced with the generous support of The Carter Center, through a grant by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). The contents are the responsibility of Sawabenu and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Carter Center, Sida, or the United States Government.