GANTA, Nimba — In the heart of the forested Gbi-Doru District, the Camp 1 Magisterial Court—housed in a crumbling mud structure—is fast becoming a symbol of systemic neglect, threatening access to justice for more than 20,000 residents.
Established in 2003 and operational since 2008, the Camp 1 Magisterial Court is the only judicial facility in the Gbi-Doru Administrative District, which is located in Liberia’s remote Nimba County. Yet, more than two decades later, the courthouse has fallen into alarming disrepair, its basic infrastructure weakened by time and relentless rains.
“The people are very happy the court is here, but they are getting tired of supporting a government institution that should be fully funded by the state,” said a court employee who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Inside the court, the conditions are dire. There is no designated seating for judges or litigants, forcing all parties—judges, witnesses and plaintiffs—to stand or make do with makeshift furniture during proceedings. The building lacks electricity, a police holding cell for detainees, transportation for staff, and even basic stationery.
The court employs three judges and eight staff members, many of whom are reportedly working without pay. The source disclosed that none of the roughly 11 judicial workers assigned to the court has received a salary in recent months.
Operational resources are nearly nonexistent. In cases where defendants must appear in court, complainants are expected to cover transportation costs for both the court sheriff and the accused.
“We rely on motorbike riders to transport people. If someone files a complaint, it’s the complainant who pays the fare to bring both the sheriff and the defendant to court,” the source said.
With no holding facility, pretrial detainees are kept in a room on the court compound—an arrangement both insecure and legally questionable.
Residents of the district are reportedly supportive of the court’s continued presence, but according to the source, they are growing frustrated with having to subsidize its basic operations.
“This court should not survive at the mercy of struggling citizens,” the source said. “Doing so reduces its prestige and undermines its integrity.”
Access to justice in the district is already limited. The next closest court is in Tappita, and residents must spend more than 7,000 Liberian dollars on transportation to reach it—an expense that is simply not feasible for most locals.
“The court is the only legal institution in the entire Gbi-Doru Administrative District,” the source emphasized. “Without it, people have nowhere to seek redress, and the rule of law will collapse if nothing is done.”
Gbi-Doru is part of Nimba County Electoral District 9, the county’s largest district. Despite its size and population, it remains without a single police station. The area’s lawmaker, Rep. Taa Z. Wongbe, was elected in 2023, succeeding former Rep. Johnson W. Gwaikolo, who served a single six-year term.
Local residents and court workers are now calling on both the county administration and national government to intervene.
“If the judiciary is to remain a pillar of our democracy,” the court source said, “then rural institutions like ours cannot be left to rot.”
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