In a landmark ruling that underscores the failures of Liberia’s criminal justice system, 117 inmates walked out of Monrovia Central Prison this week after spending six to nine years behind bars, without ever being formally charged.
The shocking case, which legal experts describe as a glaring violation of constitutional rights, saw men accused of serious crimes, including murder, armed robbery, arson, and conspiracy, languish in pretrial detention for years while prosecutors failed to bring indictments against them.
Judge Roosevelt Willie of Criminal Court ‘A’ delivered the decisive ruling, declaring the prolonged detention unlawful. His decision came after public defenders Cllr. Sennay Carlor II and Cllr. Aloysius Toe filed a motion for dismissal, citing violations of Article 21 (f and h) of Liberia’s 1986 Constitution, which guarantees the right to a speedy trial, and Section 18.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” said Cllr. Carlor after the ruling. “These men lost years of their lives waiting for a day in court that never came. The state cannot hold people indefinitely without charges, that is not how justice works.”
For the freed inmates, the ruling was bittersweet. Many had been arrested nearly a decade ago, only to be forgotten by a system that never moved forward with their cases.
“I lost everything, my job, my family, my dignity,” said one former detainee, who asked not to be named. “I kept waiting, thinking tomorrow would be the day I’d get my chance to prove my innocence. But tomorrow never came.”
Families outside the prison wept as loved ones emerged, some barely recognizable after years of incarceration.
Legal advocates say the mass release exposes deep flaws in Liberia’s judicial process, where underfunded courts, prosecutorial delays, and overcrowded prisons create a perfect storm of injustice.
“This is not just about these 117 men, it’s about a system that routinely fails its people,” said human rights lawyer Cllr. Toe. “If the government cannot prosecute cases in a timely manner, it has no right to hold people indefinitely.”
The Ministry of Justice has yet to comment on whether it will appeal the ruling or take steps to prevent similar cases in the future.
For now, 117 men are free, but the question remains: How many more are still waiting in the shadows of Liberia’s broken legal system?
