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."

First ‘Fair Trial’ Training in Myanmar’s regions

The Myanmar Attorney General’s Office (UAGO) has held the first-ever state and regional level training on fair trial standards, with the participation of 30 regional, district and township law officers.

IDLO-supported Code of Conduct for Kenyan judges

Update (21 August 2017): The 2016 version of the Code of Conduct and Ethics signed by Former Chief Justice Mutunga was not tabled before the relevant House of Parliament within seven days after its publication and thus lapsed, in line with section 11 of the Statutory Instruments Act.

An historic window of opportunity for rule of law in Myanmar

IDLO's Victoria Harrison Neves, spoke to our Country Representative for Myanmar, Kartik Sharma, about the transition underway in that country, the opportunities for supporting the rule of law at this time, and the practicalities of working in such an environment.

IDLO - When did you arrive in Myanmar?

Promoting legal cooperation between Italy and Montenegro

Italian and Montenegrin justice sector counterparts and government representatives discussed enhancing public access to judicial information in commercial law cases and ways to further strengthen Italian-Montenegrin legal cooperation in a roundtable event held at IDLO’s headquarters in Rome.

IDLO-Tanzania conference calls for Africa-wide collaboration

(Rome, Italy) June 9, 2016

Africa-wide collaboration on strengthening the rule of law will play a key role in realizing international development goals.

This was the consensus at the end of a two-day rule of law and development meeting convened by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and the Government of Tanzania last week.

Tanzania conference opens with debate on building effective institutions

The Africa conference on rule of law and development opened in Dar es Salaam yesterday with over 140 delegates attending, including two former Presidents of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa and Jayak Kikwete.

Ms Senka Danilovic, from the Judicial Training Center (JTC) in Montenegro

"In 2016, IDLO - with financial assistance from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Government of Italy - conducted a project in commercial law judicial training support in Montenegro.

Prosecuting Terrorism Offenses

Terrorism trials in Somalia have overwhelmingly been conducted in military courts under military laws that do not afford rights to the accused as enshrined in international human rights law or the Somali Provisional Constitution. Recognizing the weakness of the current system and the security threat posed by Somalia’s overloaded prison capacity, the Government of Somalia has decided to move the bulk of the current serious crimes caseload and all future caseloads to the civilian criminal court system.

Reflections on 10 years in Afghanistan

Hossam Helal is an Egyptian judge, who has worked with IDLO in Afghanistan since 2005 in many roles, including Acting Chief of Party and Head of Training for JTTP.

Visit Strengthens Cooperation with Afghanistan

“International organizations in Afghanistan often try to reach their goals as if using a raft to cross a river.

Key Initiatives

Jordan - Insolvency Law Judicial Training

In 2018, Jordan introduced a new insolvency law to support the recovery of distressed but viable businesses. The law and its by-laws outline insolvency procedures and the relevant regulatory bodies, covering economic activities by traders and companies. In collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IDLO is assisting the Judicial Council and Judicial Institute of Jordan in developing training materials to be used in blended learning modules to enhance judges' capacity to manage insolvency cases under the new law.
Enhancing the Capacity of Justice Institutions to Deliver Justice in Somalia

Lack of good governance and the rule of law are one of the most pressing problems confronting modern Somalia on its path towards stability and reconstruction. While there have been signs of progress, the absence of robust and competent institutions has contributed to a climate of insecurity and impunity. Several assessments of the justice system in Somalia have found that judges and prosecutors lack of adequate skills to effectively administer criminal trials in line with Somali laws and procedures, particularly with respect to safeguarding the rights of the accused.
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.
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.
Improving the quality of legal education through case-based teaching materials in Indonesia

In Indonesia, with its civil law system, many scholars believe that lecturers do not have any obligation to use case law or jurisprudence, including among judges. This causes stagnant development of the law both in practice and theory. Therefore, integrating case law into education will not only be beneficial to both student and lecturer, but also for the judges so they can employ better consideration when making their decisions or verdicts.