Submitted by keti on
This report is part of CRIN's access to justice for children project, looking at the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in national law, the status of children involved in legal proceedings, the legal means to challenge violations of children’s rights and the practical considerations involved in challenging violations.
The CRC depends on national law for implementation in Liberia, thus it does not take precedence over national law. In the case of inconsistencies between national law and CRC norms, as in the cases of the minimum legal age of marriage and certain issues related to adoption and juvenile justice, national law prevails over the CRC. The CRC has not been directly incorporated in national law. However, many of its provisions have been enshrined in subject-specific legislation. The CRC cannot be directly enforced in the courts. Instead, the CRC’s rights and guarantees can only be enforced through national law. In civil cases, anyone under the age of 21 (“infants”) is permitted to sue only through a representative. If a child complainant classifies as an indigent person, he or she is provided with an attorney by the court and becomes entitled to a free transcript of the record for an appeal.
