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."

Handling insolvency cases in Croatia

Croatia has eight first instance commercial courts and one High Commercial Court, and is committed to raising the capacity of its commercial court judges to resolve cases related to insolvency matters. The Judicial Training Academy has incorporated insolvency training into its annual program almost every year since 2010. However, there is still more progress to be made, especially regarding impediments to the resolution of non-performing loans which highlights the importance of the legal framework on insolvency law.

Building the capacity of the justice sector in Tajikistan

The economy and banking sectors of Tajikistan face a number of factors affecting the country’s business environment, including high interest rates and weak enforcement. At the core of the banking crisis is the fact that banks do not use the judiciary to support the enforcement of contracts. This in turn affects the construction sector, which, despite the challenging banking environment, is experiencing considerable growth. The justice system in its current condition is not able to address the construction sector disputes that inevitably surface as the sector expands.

Lahore justice professionals visit IDLO headquarters

To promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences, IDLO welcomed a delegation of justice professionals from Pakistan to its headquarters in Rome in late September 2017 for a discussion about IDLO’s work, the Pakistani justice system and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Strengthening the rule of law, justice and security in Liberia

Over a decade has passed since the end of conflict in Liberia, but incidence of sexual and gender-based violence has not diminished. Numerous studies reveal an extremely high prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence. According to an IDLO study, in 2015 1396 cases were reported to the Montserrado five one-stop clinics alone. Among those cases, 267 were reported to the Women’s and Children’s Protection Section within the Liberia National Police, 119 received an indictment, while only 3 cases went through to trial.

Kyrgyzstan: Judge candidates graduate from pre-service program

Forty legal professionals striving to become judges in courts of the Kyrgyz Republic have successfully graduated from pre-service preparatory training, paving the way for them to put forward their candidacies. The specialized training program is provided by the USAID-IDLO Kyrgyzstan Judicial Str

Afghan justice professionals visit Italian institutions

As part of its efforts to build the capacity of Afghanistan’s justice sector through the Justice Training Transition Program (JTTP), IDLO has organized an exposure visit for Afghan justice professionals to Italian institutions.

Integrity and anti-corruption in the Philippines

With rapidly growing economic and social sectors, the improvement of its justice system is key to the Philippines securing the status of a newly developed country. IDLO has been implementing a program in the Philippines to enhance the competency of prosecutors with a view to increasing the successful disposition of cases against public officials and efficiently addressing corruption.

Kenya court decision demonstrates respect for rule of law

September 1, 2017 – Today’s decision by the Kenya Supreme Court demonstrates that the Kenyan Judiciary can effectively and efficiently handle electoral disputes in line with the Constitution, said the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

“The ruling is a clear demonstration of why supporting the independence of the Judiciary and investing in building judicial capacity, including to resolve electoral disputes, builds the democratic process.”

Training and transition for Afghanistan’s justice professionals

As a post-conflict country, Afghanistan continues to operate in a complex and fragile environment characterized by political instability, weak institutions and diminished public confidence.

Preparing the judiciary as an essential pillar of democracy - lessons through time

The public backlash against the judiciary following the Presidential Petition decision in the Supreme Court in 2013 provides a lesson on the immense difficulties of convincing a cynical public that judicial decisions are based on legal reasoning and not political influence.

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.