|
Plenary Session III of the workshop had two presentations - one from Hans Petter Buvollen of UNDP Guatemala and the other from Judge Sandra Oxner of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute.
The first presentation entitled 'Cultural and Legal barriers to Justice in Guatemala' focused on formal and customary approaches to justice. In the process it considered the various disadvantages of the formal approach when weighed against the customary system against the background of civil strife and gross human rights violations. Over 50% of the population is indigenous and several Peace Accords have now secured their rights. UNDP is also involved in several justice-enabling programmes with civil society taking advantage of the best of the formal and customary legal systems.
The presentation by Judge Oxner reviewed the various prerequisites for judicial reform and also concentrated on some of the obstacles to the process. Emphasis was placed on the necessity for setting standards, targets and curricula development with the provision of tools to effect behavioural change on the part of those involved in the judiciary. Targets for judicial education were not confined to judges but were aimed at a wider audience involving several components of civil society.
Please click on the links below to open relevant documents.
|