Published: September 28, 2026
MONROVIA – Magistrates in Montserrado County say public defenders are often absent from their courts, leaving defendants who cannot afford a lawyer without representation. They raised the problem with the judiciary’s Public Defense Program during a two-day assessment that ended Saturday.
The magistrates took their concerns to Cllr. Bestman D. Juah Sr., national coordinator of the Public Defense Program. His team visited courts in Bentol, Careysburg and Arthington, among other areas. The magistrates asked for licensed lawyers to be assigned as public defenders, said the absence of defenders is a serious barrier to access to justice, and urged the team to make strong recommendations.
The Public Defense Program provides legal representation to people who cannot afford a lawyer. The assessment used questionnaires and short interviews with magistrates to identify gaps that hamper the program. Questions included how many criminal cases each court heard and disposed of during the quarter, whether public defenders appeared at trials and whether the court needed public defense representation.
Juah promised to report the findings to Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay Sr.
The team plans to take the assessment nationwide in the coming months before finalizing a report on the obstacles facing the program.
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