International Development Law Organization

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."

Strengthening the response to complex crimes in Somalia

Prosecutors, judges and investigators in Somalia are undergoing specialized training to handle cases on complex crimes with the support of IDLO.

Somalia is striving to strengthen its institutions and to improve the rule of law, however high levels of crime persist. These include forms of complex crimes, namely extremist violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). 

Capacity building in international law for the Rwandan judiciary

Transfer cases dealing with the Rwandan genocide have been adjudicated in Rwanda since 2012, and the number of cases extradited from other countries continues to increase. The procedure in transfer cases is guided in significant part by the practice and substantive precedents set by international tribunals and international criminal jurisprudence. However, international criminal law is a complex and evolving field, and it is critical that Rwandan judges know how to research and apply the latest judicial precedents correctly and effectively.

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.

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Key Initiatives

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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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