Introduction
Liberia’s strategic position along the Atlantic coastline, coupled with its status as one of the world’s largest shipping registries, makes maritime security a matter of both national survival and international responsibility.
The oceans are the backbone of global trade, and for Liberia, they are also the foundation of its emerging blue economy — spanning fisheries, shipping services, offshore energy, and coastal tourism.
Yet, these opportunities come with heightened risks: piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, drug and human trafficking, illegal fishing, environmental crimes, and now the challenges of shipping decarbonization.
In this context, the criminal justice system is not a peripheral player but a central pillar of maritime governance. Law enforcement, prosecution, judiciary, and correctional institutions must work hand-in-hand with the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) and other partners to detect, prosecute, and deter maritime crimes. At the same time, digital technologies (AIS, vessel tracking, Port Community Systems) are reshaping how evidence is collected and managed — requiring legal reforms to ensure admissibility in court.
The stakes are high: weak enforcement risks turning Liberia’s ports and registry into safe havens for illicit activity, while strong enforcement can safeguard national revenue, attract foreign investment, and enhance Liberia’s leadership in the region.
Liberia, a West African nation with a long Atlantic coastline and one of the largest shipping registries in the world, is strategically positioned in global maritime trade and security. The protection of its maritime domain is not only vital for economic development but also for national and international security.
Maritime security intersects with the criminal justice system of Liberia because threats such as piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, human trafficking, and drug trade often demand legal, enforcement, and judicial responses.
This article analyzes the significance of maritime security and its relationship with the Liberian criminal justice system.
The Importance of Maritime Security
Economic Significance
Liberia’s economy heavily depends on international shipping through its open registry system (the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry).
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Liberian waters undermines revenue and food security.
Maritime trade routes serve as channels for economic growth but also potential entry points for transnational crime.
National Security Concerns
Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea poses risks to ships flying the Liberian flag.
Smuggling of arms, drugs, and contraband through maritime routes threatens internal security.
Maritime terrorism and environmental crimes can destabilize Liberia’s fragile peace.
International Obligations
Liberia is a signatory to various international maritime conventions (e.g., International Maritime Organization conventions, UNCLOS).
Cooperation with ECOWAS, the United Nations, and other partners is necessary for regional maritime stability.
Maritime Security and the Criminal Justice System of Liberia
The criminal justice system in Liberia plays a central role in maintaining maritime security through:
Africa’s Blue Economy: opportunity and implications for Liberia
What it is & why it matters.
The “blue economy” refers to sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
For Africa, the blue economy is a major opportunity: coastal states can expand fisheries and aquaculture, develop ports and logistics, offshore energy (including renewables), tourism, and maritime services — all of which drive trade and job creation while raising the stakes for maritime governance.
Implications for Liberia and its criminal justice system.
Economic growth from the blue economy increases the volume and value of maritime traffic through Liberian ports and of Liberian-flagged vessels, raising exposure to transnational crimes (IUU fishing, trafficking, smuggling) that require law-enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial responses.
Sustainable fisheries and participation in initiatives such as the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) strengthen legal/regulatory frameworks and reduce illegal exploitation — but they also demand stronger investigative capacity and cross-agency data sharing (NaFAA, LiMA, LNP).
Policy takeaway: integrate blue-economy planning with criminal-justice capacity building (port policing, fisheries prosecution, asset-forfeiture rules, community engagement) so growth isn’t accompanied by a rise in maritime crime.
Digital technology: multiplier for safety, enforcement and trade facilitation
Technologies transforming the maritime domain.
Key tools: AIS/shore receivers and satellite vessel tracking, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), e-navigation, Port Community Systems (PCS), electronic bills of lading and blockchain for trade documentation, coastal remote sensing, and analytics (AI) for anomaly detection. These increase situational awareness, speed investigations, and reduce opportunities for fraud and smuggling.
Benefits for Liberia’s criminal justice system.
Faster detection and attribution of incidents (e.g., illegal transits, suspicious ship-to-ship transfers).
Digital evidence (VTS logs, AIS tracks, e-B/L records) strengthens prosecutions if admissibility rules and chain-of-custody processes are established in domestic law.
Port Community Systems reduce paperwork and corruption opportunities at ports, improving transparency and reducing risk of contraband passing through customs.
Barriers and risks.
Costs, interoperability, digital skills gaps, and cyber-security vulnerabilities. Digitalization must be accompanied by legal reform (e-evidence rules), training for investigators and judges, and investments in cyber resilience.
Practical recommendation: prioritize interoperable, incremental digital upgrades (e.g., AIS + VTS + a basic PCS pilot at a major port) and create legal guidance for using digital maritime evidence in court.
Law Enforcement (Police, Coast Guard, and Navy)
The Liberia National Police (LNP) works with the Liberia Coast Guard and Maritime Authority to
combat maritime-related crimes.
Training in specialized policing such as port security, coastal surveillance, and anti-smuggling operations enhances capacity.
Maritime safety, security and regional cooperation
Current security picture (Gulf of Guinea & regional context).
While incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea have fallen from peak levels, the region remains a hotspot for kidnapping and crew hostage incidents — a trend that directly affects Liberia’s maritime domain and places demands on search-and-rescue (SAR), investigation and prosecution capacity. Liberia’s registry and maritime authority maintain guidance for vessels and cooperate with regional initiatives.
Role of the criminal justice chain.
Patrols and interdictions are only the first step — successful deterrence requires evidence collection, arrest, secure custody, timely prosecution, and appropriate sentencing.
Regional exercises (e.g., Obangame Express and other drills) improve interoperability between navies, coast guards and police, but must be matched by legal harmonization (mutual legal assistance, extradition, port state measures).
Practical recommendation: build joint task-force protocols between LiMA, LNP, NaFAA, and regional partners; invest in forensic capability for maritime crime scenes; and streamline MLA/extradition procedures for fast, cross-border prosecutions.
Legal Framework
Liberia’s penal code, maritime law, and international treaties provide the legal foundation for prosecuting crimes committed in its territorial waters.
Gaps still exist in harmonizing domestic law with international maritime obligations.
Judicial Process
Courts play a critical role in adjudicating piracy, drug trafficking, and other maritime-related offenses.
Specialized judicial training is needed to handle complex transnational maritime cases.
Correctional System
Convicted offenders of maritime crimes are managed within Liberia’s correctional facilities, ensuring accountability and deterrence.
Challenges Facing Maritime Security in Liberia
Limited Resources: Inadequate patrol boats, surveillance technology, and funding hinder effective maritime enforcement.
Corruption: Weak accountability in ports and border management facilitates smuggling and trafficking.
Capacity Gaps: Lack of training and expertise among criminal justice actors on maritime law.
Regional Instability: Spillover of piracy and trafficking networks from the Gulf of Guinea affects Liberia.
Trade, shipping and Liberia’s special role as a flag state
Liberia’s position.
Liberia is one of the world’s largest ship registries — a major actor in global shipping. That status creates both economic benefits (registry fees, maritime services) and reputational responsibilities (flag-state oversight, compliance with safety and security conventions). Effective flag-state performance is also a tool to prevent misuse of the registry for illicit trade.
Trade facilitation & criminal justice linkages.
Efficient, secure trade flows rely on well-regulated ports and transparent cargo processes. When ports are opaque, criminal networks exploit them for smuggling people, drugs, and contraband. Upgrading port governance reduces these avenues and makes law-enforcement responses more effective.
Practical recommendation: harmonize port security (ISPS), customs data sharing, and the Liberian registry’s compliance monitoring so that trade facilitation and security reinforce — not undermine — each other.
Decarbonization of shipping: legal, economic and justice implications for Liberia
Global policy landscape.
The International Maritime Organization adopted strengthened GHG reduction measures in 2023 and has moved toward a Net-Zero Framework and mandatory emissions limits / carbon pricing for shipping in 2024–2025. These reforms will reshape fuel markets, ship design and operational costs.
Implications for Liberia and enforcement.
Economic: shipowners (many of which register under flags of convenience) will need to invest in new fuels, efficiency tech, or pay carbon charges — costs that can shift shipping patterns and affect Liberia’s registry income.
Regulatory/compliance: flag states and port states will face new verification, reporting, and enforcement duties (fuel standards, emissions monitoring). Liberian authorities must prepare inspection regimes, port checks, and legal provisions for sanctions/penalties.
Criminal justice angle: where new rules create economic incentives (e.g., using non-compliant fuels, falsifying emissions data), enforcement agencies must be ready to investigate fraud, false reporting, and environmental crimes — including cross-border enforcement and asset tracing for penalties and reparations.
Practical recommendation: Liberia should invest in capacity for fuel verification and emissions monitoring, update domestic statutes to criminalize deliberate falsification of emissions/fuel records, and seek international technical and financing support to help shipowners and ports decarbonize without encouraging non-compliance.
Policy and Practical Recommendations
Strengthen the Liberia Coast Guard and maritime policing units with modern technology and logistics.
Harmonize Liberia’s domestic maritime laws with international conventions.
Build judicial and prosecutorial capacity in handling maritime crimes.
Enhance regional cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and international partners.
Promote transparency and accountability within the port and maritime sectors.
Policy & law harmonization: align maritime, fisheries, environmental, digital-evidence, and criminal laws with international instruments (UNCLOS, IMO conventions) and regional protocols.
Digital first, incremental deployment: begin with AIS + shore surveillance + a Port Community System pilot, while adopting e-evidence rules to ensure digital outputs are admissible and
preserved.
Capacity building (criminal justice chain): training programs for investigators, prosecutors and judges on maritime crime, digital evidence, and environmental/ emissions offences.
Regional cooperation & exercises: participate in joint patrols, MLAT/MLA agreements, and information-sharing networks (regional centers, INTERPOL, IMO).
Finance and technical support: seek World Bank/UNCTAD/IMO and bilateral support for blue-economy projects that include governance and anti-crime components.
Conclusion
Maritime security is no longer a narrow naval or policing issue — it is the linchpin of Liberia’s economic prosperity, food security, environmental sustainability, and international credibility.
A secure maritime domain will allow Liberia to harness its blue economy, protect its fisheries, facilitate efficient trade, and comply with global decarbonization mandates. The criminal justice system is the backbone that connects enforcement at sea to accountability on land, ensuring that piracy, smuggling, emissions fraud, and other maritime crimes are not just intercepted but prosecuted and punished.
This policy brief emphasizes that Liberia’s response must be comprehensive, phased, and forward-looking: immediate legal reforms and digital pilots, medium-term capacity building and regional cooperation, and long-term readiness for environmental enforcement and blue-economy governance.
The success of this agenda will depend on strong political will, effective inter-agency coordination, and strategic partnerships with regional and international stakeholders.
Liberia has the chance to position itself as a regional leader in maritime governance, turning its vulnerabilities into strengths. By integrating maritime security with the criminal justice system,
Liberia can secure its waters, grow its economy, and safeguard its sovereignty for generations to come.
Maritime security is an essential pillar of Liberia’s national development and stability. Its significance within the criminal justice system lies in the need for law enforcement, legal frameworks, judicial processes, and correctional measures to address maritime threats effectively. Strengthening this synergy will not only protect Liberia’s maritime domain but also safeguard its economic and national security interests while fulfilling international obligations.
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
World Bank, Blue Economy for Resilient Africa Program (briefs).
UNCTAD, Economic Development in Africa Report 2023.
IMO, 2023 Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships and IMO press on the Net-Zero Framework (2023–2025).
International Chamber of Commerce — Gulf of Guinea / piracy and crew safety reporting (2024–2025 summaries).
Liberia International Ship & Corporate Registry / Liberia Maritime Authority — registry information, maritime security guidance and National Maritime Security Strategy validation.
Policy Center / regional analyses — Digital transformation in maritime industry (overview of digitalization enablers & barriers).
Reuters/AP/Financial Times coverage of shipping decarbonization and market/policy developments (context on carbon pricing and global measures.
