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."
Cooperation and a touch of celebrity to tackle domestic violence in Mongolia
With domestic violence only recently classified as a crime in Mongolia, police officers, judges and other justice professionals initially had to navigate unfamiliar territory. Capacity building programs are helping them to support victims in line with the new legislation and resolve cases through coordinated response mechanisms.

“Arab women who have broken the glass ceiling”
IDLO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) convened a forum in Casablanca, Morocco on 14-15 December 2017 to lay the foundations for the first regional network for women judges in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region – Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and West Bank and Gaza.
Tunisia workshop promotes pathways for women justice professionals
A regional workshop co-organized by IDLO brought together female judges, lawyers and academics in Sousse, Tunisia to discuss women’s effective participation in justice delivery and policy making across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Strengthening women judges in the southern and eastern Mediterranean region
EBRD and IDLO lay foundations of regional women judges’ platform
Strengthening women judges in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region
EBRD and IDLO lay foundations of regional women judges’ platform

Announcing Regional Women Judges Forum (Southern and Eastern Mediterranean)
Effective participation of women in all aspects of justice delivery is an integral part of their participation in public and political life, and a valuable component of governance. It is a human right and a matter of fairness.

Kyrgyz judiciary’s IT branch tests new court software
New software for automated distribution of civil, economic and administrative cases is being tested by the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic, aimed at simplifying case assignment among judges, reducing corruption and facilitating fairer, more efficient case handling.
Interview with Afghanistan's Attorney General
H.E. Farid Hamidi is the Attorney General of Afghanistan. In November 2016, he spoke to IDLO as a special guest at the Assembly of Parties.
I was appointed as the Attorney General of Afghanistan in April of this year, 2016. Building the judicial capacity of Afghanistan is a dire need for implementation of justice and rule of law, as well as for ensuring human rights.

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Key Initiatives
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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.
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In Somalia, alternative justice mechanisms remain the main providers of justice services for lack of formal justice institutions. However, these justice mechanisms can be discriminatory particularly against women, youth and minority clans.
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Justice within the context of commercial law is premised on the fact that an effective commercial justice system meets and facilitates the specialized needs of the business community and the private sector at large. However, there are persistent challenges related to the dispensation of commercial justice in Kenya.
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Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, has been devastated by armed conflict since September 2014. The conflict has received limited international coverage and human rights violations and violations under international humanitarian law suffered by the civilian population have been grossly underreported. All parties to the conflict have been linked to serious violations of international law, with inadequate accountability mechanisms in place to ensure justice for victims.
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With support from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, IDLO collaborated with the Judiciary of Jordan from 2019-2020 to enhance the role of economic courts as key drivers of economic growth. This effort included a comprehensive needs assessment of economic courts, conducted in partnership with legal professionals and business community representatives. The assessment findings informed the development of Jordan’s National Justice Sector Strategy.
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Policy Statements
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