Press Release
In Response to the President's Decision to Form a National Committee to Develop the Justice Sector, AMAN Coalition Stresses that the Judiciary Must be Protected from Interference of the Executive Authority
The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) has been following up with great concern on the presidential decision to form a special committee to study the reality, issues, problems and differences between components of the justice sector in Palestine. It also warns of the extreme dangers embedded within the numerous changes made over the past five years, which include: the formation of the Transitional Judicial Council followed by the Supreme Judicial Council as well as the many amendments made to the governing laws of the judiciary, including separating the administrative judiciary from the regular judiciary by establishing administrative courts.
AMAN believes that the continuous formation of committees to reform the Palestinian Judiciary, which began in 2005 has neither resolved the crisis nor helped to strengthen the judiciary or protect it from the interference of the political and security authorities. In this regard, we point out the establishment of the Steering Committee for the Development of the Judiciary and Justice in 2005 and the National Committee for the Development of the Justice Sector in 2017, noting that both of these committees presented their recommendations to reform the justice sector and resolve crises with stakeholders. In addition, Civil Society Organizations also has been presenting recommendations since 2011 to solve the problems. Failure to solve these issues shows a lack of serious will by those in charge to empower and strengthen the judiciary and its independence.
The Coalition would like to affirm that the disruption of a democratic life by refraining from holding general elections, legislative and presidential since 2006, has precluded the implementation of the principle of separation of powers, weakened the authority and independence of the judiciary and its role in the control over the political authorities and allowed for interference of the political and security authorities in its affairs.
AMAN believes that any initiatives or recommendations that do not guarantee the empowerment of the Palestinian judiciary by strengthening its capabilities with technical and administrative human cadres as well as provide it with material and logistical resources, in addition to protection from interferences by the political and security authorities will not provide long lasting solutions to the problems associated with the pillars of justice.
The Coalition calls for a societal dialogue in order to stop the state of deterioration in several official sectors including the justice and judicial sectors stressing that there is no hope of reforming the judiciary if there is no democratic and pluralistic political system and an effective legislative council to hold accountable parties that do not abide by and respect the principle of the rule of law.
