MoJ, LRC & Louis Arthur Grimes Law School Sign MoU

-For Codification Of Laws, Statutory Law, Supreme Court Opinions, Other Legal Instruments

The Ministry of Justice, the Law Reform Commission and the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law have, in pursuit of and in order to fulfill their statutory mandates, executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Under the MOU, the concerned Parties agreed to work together and under a concerted program to ensure the codification of the laws of Liberia, statutory law, Opinions of the Supreme Court, Executive Orders, Administrative Regulations, etc.

Under the same arrangement, they agreed to incorporate a not-for-profit corporate vehicle, the Liberian Law Research, Codification and Publication Center (LLRCPC). The institution under whose direction of the three institutions work, and to whom certain personnel of the said institutions will be seconded, will undertake the work of researching for, compiling, editing, indexing, annotating (as necessary), and publishing the various laws of Liberia.

The work product of the Center will be subject to final review and approval of the statutory agencies which have been delegated such responsibility.

“In order to effectively implement the operational efficiency of the MOU and a conducive work environment, the Parties further agreed that the Center be housed at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, with all of its personnel and facilities being stationed at the Law School which will also enable easy and fast access to tremendous research and academic facilities,” the parties noted in the MOU.

According to the MOU, the new undertaking by the Parties is to build on previous collaboration that resulted in the establishment of the Liberia Legal Information institute (Liberlii), which had been engaged in publishing online the raw Supreme Court Opinions and certain of the Acts passed by the Legislature.

“Under the new venture, the laws will not only be available online but will also be published in hard bound copies and will be available in both forms locally as well other nations and centers around the world,” the Parties committed themselves in the MOU.

They also acknowledged that new monumental venture will bring a new order to the codification, publication and dissemination of the laws of Liberia. The parties noted the effort is not only to make the laws current and available, but also in placing the many Acts passed by the Legislature under the appropriate Titles of the law for ease of access and reference by the courts, the legislature, executive agencies, academicians and researchers.

“In addition, and to have the project commenced without delay, the Parties agreed that the LLRCPC will be incorporated within three weeks of the execution of the MOU and that the Center will immediately thereafter commence work,” it is stated in the MOU.

The Parties have announced that they agreed to engage the services of Professor Philip A.Z. Banks, III as the first Executive Director of the Center.

“Lastly, the Parties agree also that upon incorporation of the Center, a training program for designated personnel of the Parties will commence to ensure their efficiency in the art of the tasks which the Center will be undertaken under the direction of the Parties,” the MOU stated.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Liberia, Cllr. F. Musa Dean, Jr., the Chairman of the Law Reform Commission, Cllr. Boakai N. Kanneh, and the Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, Cllr. T. Negbalee Warner signed the MOU which takes immediate effect.