Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Program in Liberia (LPAC) Monthly Report – August 2016

The program consists of two components: Component A, which supports development at four legal education, information, and professional institutions, and Component B, which supports the Government of Liberia's efforts to prevent, investigate, and prosecute corruption. Component A focuses on strengthening the capacity of the Judicial Institute, the Law School, LiberLII, and the Liberian National Bar Association. The James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute (JI) is one of the key institutions supported by LPAC. The JI's objectives include obtaining reliable funding from the Government of Liberia and better managing its scarce resources. To achieve this, LPAC Advisor worked with the JI Board of Governor's sub-committee to review the Bylaws drafted by LPAC in Q1. The sub-committee focused on reviewing and revising the Act Amending Title 17 of the Revised Code of Laws of Liberia, which officially establishes the James A. A. Pierre Judicial Institute. LPAC also supported the JI in developing a proposal to fund the Professional Magistrates Training Program (PMTP) Cycle III. The program aims to provide financial and organizational assistance to the JI to support PMTP Cycle III. However, there is insufficient funding in the LPAC budget to support this program, and a proposal has been submitted to USAID for additional funding. In addition to supporting the JI, LPAC also conducted a Public Defenders Training Program (PDTP) on August 1-5, 2016, in Buchanan, Grand Basa County. The program provided 34 public defenders with training on various topics, including the role of public defenders in the fight against corruption, plea bargaining, and trial techniques. The program was monitored and evaluated by LPAC, and while the evaluations were generally favorable, monitoring identified the need for additional faculty development to improve program instruction. LPAC also conducted technical training for the JI's financial officer on budget planning, preparation, justification, and documentation based on the Government of Liberia's environmental and financial regulations. This training aimed to improve the JI's financial management capacity and ensure compliance with government regulations. The program's progress is reflected in the attached 30-60-90 day chart, which shows the results accomplished as a result of activities carried out. The chart provides a visual representation of the program's progress and highlights the achievements made in the first year of implementation. Overall, LPAC's efforts aim to strengthen the capacity of Liberia's legal institutions and reduce corruption. The program's progress is a positive step towards achieving these goals, and continued support is necessary to ensure the program's success.