By Vaye Lepolu
Monrova, Liberia – Chief Justice Yammie Quiqui Gbeisay of the Supreme Court of Liberia has officially endorsed the bill establishing the country’s first-ever Family Court, following a validation workshop held on the grounds of the Judiciary Branch in collaboration with the Liberia Law Reform Commission.
Speaking at the validation workshop on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Chief Justice Gbeisay stated that the Family Court has long been a key part of the judiciary’s reform agenda. He noted that the court is intended to reduce the heavy backlog of cases clogging the dockets and to provide aggressive access to justice, fair trials, and timely judgments for Liberian women and men involved in family disputes.
According to Chief Justice Gbeisay, Liberia’s first Family Court will handle divorce cases, as well as matters related to the determination of paternity and child custody. He emphasized that the judiciary, as the end user of the law, has both the honor and the duty to support the draft document establishing the Family Court. The Chief Justice underscored that the family is the most vital unit of any society, asserting that no society can develop beyond the strength of its family unit. “An organized family produces a successful society,” he declared.
Chief Justice Gbeisay also noted that the Family Court project is the brainchild of his bench, and that the bench is ready to critique, analyze, and endorse the validation process. He acknowledged the brilliant performance of the Family Court Committee in drafting the bill, while remaining cognizant of the judiciary’s limitations. He added that the committee’s draft and recommendations have been forwarded to the Law Reform Commission.
He further explained that the Law Reform Commission has the statutory responsibility to reform Liberian laws. The committee, which includes the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Gender, the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), and civil society organizations, is headed by Her Honor Lucia Anderson, Judge of the Juvenile Court, and was instrumental in jump-starting the establishment of Liberia’s first Family Court.
Also speaking at the event, Law Reform Commission Chairperson Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah described the launch of the validation exercise as a “defining moment” in Liberia’s legal evolution, particularly in strengthening protections for women, children, and vulnerable groups. Cllr. Varmah said the Family Court would address longstanding gaps in handling child custody, domestic relations, maintenance, and protection cases—areas previously managed by courts not structured for such sensitive matters.
“For decades, families—our most fundamental social units—have navigated a justice system not specifically structured to address their vulnerabilities,” he said. “Today, we say: that must change, and it will change.”
He recalled that on April 9, 2026, the LRC conducted extensive consultations with key national stakeholders, resulting in robust recommendations that significantly improved the draft bill. Describing the validation phase as the stage “where refinement meets consensus,” Varmah urged delegates to rigorously interrogate the draft to ensure the final version becomes “a living instrument of justice.”
Cllr. Varmah expressed gratitude to key institutions contributing to the process, including the Judiciary, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, AFELL, the Liberia National Bar Association, the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, civil society organizations, and development partners. “This is what collaboration looks like. This is what nation-building requires,” he stated. Varmah said the establishment of the Family Court represents a paradigm shift toward a people-centered justice system.
“It means a child’s voice will be better heard. It means survivors of domestic violence will encounter a system designed to protect, not intimidate, them. It means families in crisis will find resolution in an environment grounded in empathy, expertise, and efficiency,” he added. He urged participants to contribute critically and constructively, noting that the success of the reform depends on the quality of collective input. “History will remember this moment not because we met, but because we acted,” Varmah stressed.
