Following decades of war and radical regimes, Afghanistan’s established written code of law is being largely undermined by a severe lack of resources, weak administration and wide-spread corruption within the judicial system.

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) began working for the reconstruction of the justice system in Afghanistan in late 2001. It has since established itself as a leading partner for the Afghan government, donors and international agencies in the shared goal of re-establishing the rule of law. IDLO’s activities in Afghanistan have been focused on providing legal technical assistance, institutional capacity building, professional training and developing resources for the legal community.

In 2001-2002, IDLO undertook extensive preparatory work and research into the legal system in Afghanistan. By collecting over 2400 Afghan laws representing most of the legislation produced during the last century, IDLO was then able to assist the Ministry of Justice in indexing the country’s laws. The Organization has also identified and mobilized international and Afghan legal experts, leading to the development of an extensive Database of Afghan Legal Professionals.

IDLO established a Program Office in Kabul in January 2003. Since then, the Organization has completed three major judicial reform projects; two funded by the Italian Government, the lead donor country for international assistance to the justice sector in Afghanistan, and one funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

The Organization is currently implementing a fourth judicial reform project entitled Increasing Afghanistan’s Capacity for Sustainable Legal Reform, which is funded by the Italian Government.

In addition, IDLO is participating in a Public Procurement Reform Support Project funded by the World Bank, and has recently begun providing Legal Training for the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA), funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Through its programs, IDLO has provided training for over 1500 legal professionals, including judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, Members of Parliament, civil servants and academics.

Other activities include the preparation of judicial candidates for the entrance exam to the judiciary, the provision of technical assistance in the development of the Independent National Legal Training Center, and the formation of the Legal Aide Organization of Afghanistan, an Afghan non-governmental organization providing legal services to the poor and disempowered.

IDLO has used both Afghan and international experts in its programs, working continually towards building local capacity through the increasing involvement of Afghan instructors. By the end of 2007, Afghan officials and professors were responsible for the majority of training in courses on Afghan Law.