Building Judicial Capacity

Efficient, equitable and accessible justice systems are the lifeblood of the rule of law. For many years, building judicial capacity in the developing world was IDLO's sole area of intervention.

Today, while our mission and expertise has greatly expanded, we remain faithful to that early purpose. Building capacity in the judiciary is still the bulk of what we do, and what we are most recognized for. We do this in a variety of legal systems and traditions, working with local and international partners, with a strong emphasis on transition societies.

In the words of Kyrgyz Supreme Court Chair and IDLO interlocutor Feruza Z. Djumasheva, "Without successful judicial reforms, there will be no economic or social reform."

Webinar - Access to Justice in the Context of COVID-19 in East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda

Building transparent institutions through e-justice in Kyrgyzstan

IDLO has actively supported a wide range of e-justice initiatives in the Kyrgyz Republic to improve the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the judiciary through digital technologies.

How Afghanistan started delivering in-house justice sector training

“Back then, training was just done to tick a box,” recalled Mohammad Naeem Latoon, one of IDLO’s legal specialists working with the Afghan Supreme Court’s training department, looking back on how capacity development was implemented in Afghanistan almost a decade ago.

Supporting Criminal Justice Sector Reform in Ukraine Phase IV

Despite reform efforts undertaken by the Government of Ukraine after the Maidan Revolution in 2014, Ukrainian citizens continue to regard criminal justice stakeholders with deep distrust. In 2019, the presidential and snap parliamentary elections resulted in a shift of the political environment, creating an opportunity to meaningfully advance anti-corruption reforms.

E-court processes in Kenya promote access to commercial justice

Ongoing automation processes are transforming Kenya’s judiciary into a fully-fledged e-court.

Exchange inspires changes in Kyrgyz judicial education

Distance learning, an online library, mentorships for judges, comprehensive training of court chairpersons and regional schools – these represent only part of the plans to transform the Kyrgyz judiciary after exchanges with judicial institutions in Italy, Armenia and Ukraine.

Strengthening judicial institutions in international criminal law in Rwanda

Strengthening the capacity of prosecutors, judges and lawyers in Rwanda in international criminal law is both important and timely. Over two decades after Rwanda’s genocide, the number of cases extradited and transferred from other countries to Rwanda continues to increase. Given that international criminal law is a complex and evolving field, prosecutors who appear in Transfer cases would benefit from skills allowing them to more accurately and effectively research and apply the latest judicial precedents.

Alumni Voices from Uganda – thirty years on

In 1984, while working as a State Attorney at the Ugandan Ministry of Justice, Fredrick Ruhindi had the opportunity to come to Rome and spend three months as a participant at IDLI’s very first ‘Development Lawyers Course’ – a 12-week course providing intensive training on legal skills such as advising, negotiating, draft

Philippines: Capacity building to combat money laundering

The Philippines has come a long way in combating money laundering over the past decade, making significant progress on reforming its legal and regulatory framework and addressing deficiencies, but it still experiences substantial challenges in dealing with the complex, transnational issues posed by money laundering.

ICC President visits IDLO program in Rwanda

IDLO welcomed the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, and the former President of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Judge Erik Møse, to its training program in Kigali for an interactive exchange with 45 Rwandan judges on the particularities of adjudicating complex international criminal law trials.

Key Initiatives

Evaluation of the project "Afghan Justice Institutions Strengthening (AJIS)"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief for the project, "Afghan Justice Institutions Strengthening (AJIS)". The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
Evaluation of the project "Justice Training Transition Program (JTTP) Follow On"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief for the project, "Justice Training Transition Program (JTTP) Follow On". The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
Evaluation of the project "Strengthening Enforcement of Court Decisions in Mongolia - Phase I and II"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Strengthening Enforcement of Court Decisions in Mongolia - Phase I and II”. The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit.
Evaluation of the project "Support to Kenyan Constitutional Implementation Process with a Focus on Devolution and Gender Reforms"

As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Thematic Evaluation of the International Development Law Organization's (IDLO) Support to the Kenyan Constitution Implementation Process with a Focus on Devol
Lessons Learned Brief - Avoiding Violence and Enhancing Legitimacy: Judicial Preparedness for Handling Electoral Disputes in Kenya and Beyond

The Brief (or Lessons Learned Brief), titled Avoiding Violence and Enhancing Legitimacy: Judicial Preparedness for Handling Electoral Disputes in Kenya and Beyond, explores IDLO’s support to the Kenyan judiciary to resolve electoral disputes. The 2007 electoral violence in Kenya demonstrated that disastrous consequences can follow when the electoral dispute resolution system is not trusted to deal fairly and efficiently with contested elections.