ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the Liberian state-building state from the perspective of Jensen's approach to judicial sector support in state-building. It focuses on the transitional justice, which typically includes truth and reconciliation, public hearings and testimonials, and international tribunals. Liberia has a dual judicial system. The Liberian state has imposed its rule of law through violence and force rather than the consent of the governed or through the democratic rule of law. The national court system falls under the statutory system, accessible by the civilised elite, while the native indigenous population is left to rely upon the customary legal system. The Liberian legal system was formally divided into statutory and traditional judicial sectors. The Rules and Regulations Governing the Hinterlands provided the legal framework for courts in the rural areas. The customary legal system provides inadequate protection of communal land ownership rights against the transnational concessionaires.
