Introduction
The theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights” speaks to a vision of collective action and institutional evolution over the eight decades since the founding of the United Nations (UN) toward realizing peace, sustainable development, and protection of human rights.
From a criminal justice perspective, this theme raises critical questions: How have criminal justice systems contributed to, or hindered, these goals? What reforms are needed now, especially in post-conflict or transitional states like Liberia, to ensure that peace, development, and human rights reinforce one another rather than exist in tension?
This essay explores those questions by examining the theoretical foundations, empirical challenges, case studies (with a focus on Liberia), and recommendations for policy and practice.
Theoretical Foundations: Criminal Justice, Peace, Development, and Human Rights
Rule of Law and Peace
The rule of law is central to maintaining peace. When laws are enforced fairly, citizens see legal institutions as legitimate, grievances can be addressed through judicial channels rather than through violence or vigilantism.
Transitional justice mechanisms (e.g., truth commissions, war crimes courts) are often essential in post-conflict societies to rebuild trust, to acknowledge past harms, and to deter future abuses. They represent both symbolic and substantive justice.
Criminal Justice and Development
Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) links justice directly with sustainable development. Without effective, fair, and accessible criminal justice systems, development is undermined — crime and corruption divert resources, discourage investment, damage social cohesion.
Justice systems facilitate economic development by protecting property rights, enforcing contracts, enabling safe commerce, and reducing lawlessness that increases transaction costs.
Human Rights as Core to Justice
International human rights law establishes standards that criminal justice systems must meet due process, prohibition of torture, fair trial, rights of detainees, the rights of victims. These are not optional add-ons but essential for legitimacy and justice.
Human rights protection requires an active criminal justice system, not just codified laws but effective investigation, prosecution, adjudication, correction, and oversight.
“Better Together” as Integration & Cooperation
The theme suggests collaboration — between institutions (police, judiciary, corrections), between local and international actors, between formal and informal justice systems, and between governments and communities.
Also suggests that peace, development, and human rights are not separate goals but mutually reinforcing: without peace, development stalls; without development, inequalities and grievances grow; without respecting human rights, neither peace nor development is sustainable.
Empirical Challenges: Where Criminal Justice Systems Fall Short
Even as ideals are strong, the reality in many countries reveals significant gaps. Drawing especially from Liberia and other post-conflict or developing contexts, some of these challenges are:
Impunity for Grave Crimes and Lack of Transitional Justice
In Liberia, despite the two civil wars (1989-2003), there has been delayed or limited accountability for war crimes, sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, etc. Human rights reports have repeatedly noted a legacy of impunity for wartime atrocities and postwar sexual violence.
The establishment of a war crimes court has been under discussion for many years; in 2024-2025, legislative steps have been taken (lower house, senate, executive orders) to create such a court.
Weak Capacity, Delays, and Backlogs
Many countries, including Liberia, suffer from limited human, financial, and infrastructural capacity: shortage of magistrates, prosecutors, victim support officers; under-resourced forensic, investigative, and correctional services.
Delays in trial and case disposition undermine confidence and erode rights (e.g., pretrial detention becoming de facto punishment).
Corruption, Unequal Access, Informality, and Discrimination
Corruption is a notable barrier. In Liberia, extortion, bribes, and discriminatory treatment affect who can access justice. “No money, no justice” is a phrase found in human rights reporting.
Informal justice or customary dispute resolution often fills gaps, especially in rural areas, but customary systems may discriminate (e.g. gender), or may lack formal oversight. In Liberia, about 80% of people rely on customary or traditional leaders for resolving disputes.
Discrimination or neglect: for example, women and girls often face violence and have difficulty obtaining justice; children may be tried in adult courts or detained improperly.
Data, Transparency, and Oversight Deficits
Poor data collection, lack of integrated case tracking, missing statistics undermine ability to assess, monitor, and reform the system. In Liberia, many magisterial court records are paper-based, lost or mismanaged; data on case flow, pretrial detention, outcomes, etc. are weak.
Lack of transparency breeds distrust and limits external oversight (by civil society, media, etc.).
Case Study: Liberia
To illustrate how these challenges and reforms interact, Liberia provides a valuable case.
Post-Conflict Background and Human Rights Legacy
Liberia’s civil conflicts left deep wounds: sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, massacres. Postwar, various mechanisms (e.g., Truth & Reconciliation Commission) recommended prosecuting war crimes and sexual violence, but implementation has been slow.
Impunity for wartime sexual violence remains a serious issue, and conviction rates are very low.
Reforms toward Access, Efficiency, and Justice
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): The Liberian government has committed to institutionalizing ADR to help resolve disputes more quickly, affordably, and accessibly, especially for the poor and rural communities.
Case Management Information System (CMIS): The roll-out of an online case management system for police, prosecution, and judiciary helps to address case backlog, improve transparency, reduce delays, and preserve data.
Judicial Reform, Strategic Planning, Institutional Capacity Building: Training magistrates, expanding the judiciary’s digital transformation, rebranding plans to improve credibility, improving infrastructure.
War Crimes Court Establishment: As noted, legislative actions have moved forward to establish a war crimes court to try crimes from the civil wars. This is a major transitional justice step.
Remaining Gaps and Risks
Ensuring that the war crimes court adheres to international standards; that it is victim-centred; that it does not become politicized or coopted.
Addressing corruption in formal justice institutions, and ensuring informal/traditional systems do not exacerbate discrimination.
Ensuring financial, human resource, and infrastructural sufficiency — e.g., that ADR or CMIS initiatives are scaled sustainably, not just pilot projects.
Public trust and perception remain fragile: people need to believe justice is fair, accessible. Efforts like rebranding, training, transparency are relevant, but change takes time.
How Criminal Justice Can Advance the “Better Together” Vision
Given the theory and Liberia’s experience, what does “Better Together” imply in practice for criminal justice systems aiming to serve peace, development, and human rights?
Integrated Reform Strategy
Rather than isolated projects (e.g., computerization, ADR, courtroom renovation), reforms must be linked: capacity building, legal framework, oversight, community engagement, and transitional justice should be part of a coherent strategy.
For example, CMIS helps with data; ADR helps with access; war crimes court addresses past abuse; judicial reforms address fairness and credibility.
Partnerships Across Institutions and Actors
Cooperation among police, prosecution, judiciary, corrections, and oversight bodies is essential. Each must respect separation of powers and institutional independence, yet work together to ensure cases are handled fairly from start to finish.
Partnership with civil society, victim groups, and affected communities is key for legitimacy and for ensuring reforms are responsive to lived experience.
International Cooperation and Compliance with International Law
Many human rights obligations and standards are codified in treaties (e.g., Geneva Conventions, ICCPR, Convention on the Rights of the Child). States should align national laws and practice with these, particularly for war crimes, sexual violence, rights of detainees, juvenile justice.
Technical support, funding, capacity support from UN agencies, international donors, and peer states can help ensure standards are met.
Focusing on Access, Equity, and Justice for Vulnerable Groups
Women and girls, children, victims of sexual violence, persons with disabilities, marginalized communities require special protection and access to justice.
Traditional or customary justice systems can help access but must be regulated for fairness, non-discrimination, and rights consistency.
Transparency, Data, Monitoring, Accountability
Systems like CMIS or related case tracking, public reporting on case backlogs, disposals, acquittals, victims’ redress etc. are essential to identify where the system is failing.
Strong oversight institutions (judicial councils, ombudsmen, human rights commissions) and free press & civil society help hold the justice system to account.
Sustainable Resource Allocation
Without sustained investment (budget, human resources, infrastructure), reforms will stall. Donor support is helpful but needs to be matched by domestic commitment.
Also cost-benefit perspectives can help: better justice systems reduce costs of crime, reduce costs of instability, make development more efficient.
Reflections: Trade-offs, Risks, and Long-Term Considerations
Tension between peace and accountability: Sometimes peace processes involve amnesty or non-prosecution clauses. While such measures may help stop violence, they risk undermining human rights and long-term justice. The balance between reconciliation and justice is delicate.
Political will & legitimacy: Reforms can be undone if governments change, or if justice institutions are seen as biased. Maintaining legitimacy requires ongoing transparency, fairness, and inclusion.
Cultural and social norms: Customary justice may have advantages in local trust and accessibility, but must be adapted to ensure rights (e.g., gender equality). Reforms must engage community norms in ways that respect human rights, not simply impose external models.
Resource constraints: Many of the reforms needed (court infrastructure, human resources, digital systems) require funding and sustained investment. Donor fatigue, domestic budget constraints, or competing priorities can hamper progress.
Recommendations for Policy and Practice
Strengthen Transitional and Restorative Justice
Establish and operationalize war crimes and economic crimes courts in line with international standards.
Ensure victim-centered processes, including reparations, psychosocial support, and witness protection.
Promote restorative justice mechanisms, such as truth-telling and community reconciliation programs, to complement formal trials.
Expand Access to Justice and Equality Before the Law
Institutionalize Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and community justice centers to reduce backlog and improve rural access.
Strengthen and fund legal aid services to ensure indigent persons, women, and children can access competent defense.
Reform juvenile justice systems to guarantee that children in conflict with the law are handled separately from adults.
Build Institutional Capacity and Professionalism
Train police, prosecutors, judges, and corrections officers in human rights, ethics, and specialized areas (gender-based violence, cybercrime, forensic investigations).
Invest in modern infrastructure — functional courts, detention facilities, and digital case-management systems.
Improve coordination across justice actors (police–prosecution–judiciary–corrections) through joint task forces and information-sharing protocols.
Combat Corruption and Strengthen Oversight
Establish independent judicial and law enforcement oversight commissions with investigative powers.
Enforce strict accountability for bribery, abuse of power, and political interference in criminal justice institutions.
Encourage transparency through regular public reporting of case statistics, disciplinary measures, and budgetary use.
Integrate Human Rights into Justice Delivery
Harmonize national laws with international human rights treaties, particularly on torture, arbitrary detention, and gender equality.
Mandate continuous human rights training for justice personnel.
Ensure detention conditions meet international minimum standards (adequate food, health care, and humane treatment).
Enhance Data, Monitoring, and Public Engagement
Scale up digital case-management systems (like Liberia’s CMIS) nationwide for real-time tracking of cases.
Publish annual justice sector performance reviews covering case backlog, conviction rates, pretrial detention, and victims’ services.
Engage civil society, academia, and the media as partners in monitoring justice delivery.
Promote International and Regional Cooperation
Deepen collaboration with UN agencies, ECOWAS, and the African Union on transnational crime, terrorism, and human trafficking.
Ratify and implement outstanding international conventions on criminal justice and human rights.
Facilitate regional training exchanges and capacity-building programs for judges, prosecutors, and police officers.
Conclusion
Eighty years on, the goals of peace, development, and human rights are more intertwined than ever. From a criminal justice perspective, these are not separately pursued ideals but mutually reinforcing foundations. Liberia’s experience illustrates both the promise and the challenges of making “Better Together” a lived reality: the establishment of war crimes courts, case tracking and digital systems, ADR, and judicial reforms are positive steps, but much remains to be done.
For peace to endure, justice must be done; for development to be inclusive, justice systems must be fair, accessible, and rights respecting; for human rights to matter, criminal justice systems must protect the vulnerable and hold wrongdoers accountable. Going forward, the criminal justice sector should continue to embrace integrated reforms, partnerships, investment,
and strong norms of human rights if the vision of “80 years and more for Peace, Development, and Human Rights” is to be fulfilled.
About the Author
Professional Profile Summary
Tarpeh L. U-sayee, Jr. is a seasoned Liberian law enforcement professional, criminal justice professor, and police training expert with a solid foundation in international relations, theology, and public service. With over a decade of experience in both law enforcement and criminal justice education, he currently serves as a trainer at the Liberia National Police Training Academy and lectures at various private universities in Liberia.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Service Leadership (International Relations), a Master of Divinity, dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice, and an Associate Degree in Management. He is also a prospective doctoral graduate in Church Growth and Ministry.
Mr. U-sayee is a graduate of the Liberia Police Academy, the Louisiana State Police Academy (USA), and the Lagos State Police Academy (Nigeria). As an Apostle and spiritual leader, he brings a unique combination of ethical leadership, academic excellence, and practical field experience. His lifelong mission is centered on peacebuilding, unity, and the advancement of the rule of law in Liberia.
References
Human Rights Watch. (2013, August). “No Money, No Justice”: Police Corruption and Abuse in Liberia. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/report/2013/08/22/no-money-no-justice/police-corruption-and-abuse-liberia
UNDP Liberia. (2022, April 4). Liberia designs and roll-out online Case Management Information System for Justice Institutions. UNDP.
UNDP Liberia. (2023, February 28). Minister of Justice commits the government to institutionalizing ADR. UNDP.
UNDP Liberia. (2025, April 8). Commitment to Strengthening Judicial Reforms. UNDP.
MUNDP Liberia. (2024). Strengthening the Rule of Law in Liberia: Justice and Security for the Liberian People – Phase II. UNDP.
