2018 Activities

The Independent Commission and Civil Society Call on the President to Adopt the Comprehensive Vision for Reform and Unity in the Justice System in Palestine

The Independent Commission and Civil Society Call on the President to Adopt the Comprehensive Vision for Reform and Unity in the Justice System in Palestine

Ramallah: In a press conference held at the premises of the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity, the Civic Coalition for the Reform and Protection of the Judiciary (CCRPJ) and the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) (Office of the Ombudsman) called on President Mahmoud Abbas to adopt the comprehensive vision for reform and unity of the justice system in Palestine put forward by the Justice Sector Development Committee (JSDC), which was formed on September 6, 2017 by a presidential decree.

Only some sections of this vision to develop the justice sector have been adopted. The CCRPJ and ICHR are demanding that the paper be considered as a blueprint since it has been endorsed by more than 300 specialist civil societies and the ICHR.

The paper contains key details and proposals for comprehensive reform of the entire justice sector. It aims to improve the two branches of the Palestinian justice sector: both civil and Sharia, in addition to changes to the Supreme Constitutional Court, which was not referred to in the JSDC recommendations. Other objectives include the unity of the justice sector and the public prosecution in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is particularly important because Palestinian public confidence in the justice sector has declined and the number of people resorting to tribal justice or taking the law into their hands has escalated.

Speakers at the press conference stated that judicial independence and the rule of law are key to civil order. They argued that civil society has a duty to oversee the justice system and to intervene in its reform with the goal of strengthening Palestinian society and rejecting tribal justice. This is vital in the context of the dangers faced by Palestinians on a daily basis. Speakers declared that the promotion and development of the judiciary is a public and national responsibility, especially as judges and the Judicial Council are incapable of implementing reform due to disputes among judges and the interference of the executive authority in judicial affairs.

The detailed plan endorsed by civil institutions and the ICHR underlines the need to end political divisions, and to unite the justice sector and public prosecution under a single new Judicial Council in accordance with the Judicial Authority Law. The plan also proposes the establishment of a temporary national committee that would include ex-judges, lawyers, academics, and judicial experts to appraise all existing judges and prosecutors based on criteria defined by the committee. The recommendations of this committee would be presented to the Legislative Council and to the President. The recommendations would be binding and enforceable once endorsed.

 

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