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."

Judicial training on tax legislation in Bulgaria

After Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union the national tax system underwent significant transformations. Wide-reaching reforms to Bulgarian legal codes - civil, criminal and commercial - were implemented, previously existing legislation was overhauled, and many new areas of legislation were introduced, requiring extensive re-training of the judiciary. To deal effectively with cases relating to tax, judges require a sound understanding of tax matters through ongoing and specialized training.

RoLF Partners Coordination Meeting and Advisory Board Meeting

Since 2015, IDLO has been managing the Indonesia-Netherlands Rule of Law Fund (RoLF) program, which builds on Indonesian development plans and continues the efforts of the Embassy of the Kingd

Towards an Effective Court Decision Enforcement System in Indonesia

An ineffective court decision enforcement system in Indonesia leaves many who win their court case behind disappointed, as verdicts are not properly enforced. Hearings are often delayed, existing mechanisms are still based on Dutch law from 1848, and Indonesia’s Supreme Court’s internal regulations are not sufficient enough to ensure that court decisions are implemented effectively. The government has identified court decisions enforcement as one of the factors preventing effective judicial dispute resolution, particularly impacting business contracts.

Kyrgyzstan-Ukraine regional exchange builds bailiff capacity

As with many emerging economies, non-enforcement of court decisions in the Kyrgyz Republic remains a challenge.

Supporting Somali justice institutions to combat complex crimes

Somalia is striving to strengthen its institutions and to improve the rule of law, however high levels of crime still persist. These include forms of complex crimes, namely extremist violence, organized crime, sexual and gender-based violence and corruption. In recent years, the Somali Federal Government has improved the fight against armed groups and made efforts to improve the capacity of the justice system to handle complex crimes.

Chief Justices from East Africa pledge regional integration

The Chief Justices of Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda (partner states of the East African Community) as well as the Chief Justice of Zanzibar, the Judge President of the East African Court of Justice, and the Chief Justice of Somalia in an observer role, pledged to enhance collaboration, agree strategies to improve access to jus

Increasing Public Trust in the Judiciary in Kyrgyzstan

The Kyrgyz Republic has made significant strides in working toward improvements to a justice system shaken to the core following the 2010 Revolution. While a wholesale reselection process of judges changed the landscape and provided hope for real change, it also created a judiciary staffed with many inexperienced, under-skilled first-time judges who are more easily exposed to negative influences - both perceived and real. Consequently, the public mistrusts the judiciary and holds a negative perception of it being corrupt, inefficient and dependent on other branches of government.

Judicial training program to improve investment climate in Romania

Bucharest, April 23, 2018 – A new program in Romania will help the country improve its investment climate by building judicial capacity in commercial cases and increasing the uniformity of judicial practice.

“Romanian courts need to be able to tackle economic crime and commercial disputes in an effective and reliable manner to attract sustainable and healthy investment,” said the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), noting the purpose of its new program in the country.

Enhancing access to justice through alternative dispute resolution in Kenya

Following the adoption of a new Constitution in Kenya in 2010, its implementation has seen significant improvements in the promotion and protection of human rights, gender equality and access to justice. Nonetheless, sustainable development of the country and strengthened public confidence in the judiciary continue to be key priorities requiring ongoing reforms.

Continuing professional development support in Afghanistan

The revised Afghan Penal Code entered into force in February 2018. This called for an urgent need to build the capacity of justice professionals to handle cases in compliance with the revised Code. In response, the Supreme Court, Attorney General’s Office and Ministry of Justice turned to their nascent professional training departments. However, the maturity, capacity and resources of the departments vary, and extra support is required to enable them to deliver the task effectively.

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.