Judicial Reform Discussion

The Cultural Club of Rades held a symposium Thursday, August 18^th on the subject of judicial reform.

Judge Kalthoum Kennou, member of the High Authority for the Achievement of the Revolutionary Objectives (HAARO), reiterated the most pressing concerns of the Association of Tunisian Judges (AMT): rooting out corrupt judges, protection of the judicial system from the domination of the executive, dedicated support for the principles of judicial indpendence (particularly with regard to the assignment and promotion of judges), the recognition of the High Council of Justice as a constitutional institution with headquarters outside the Ministry of Justice, the creation of a transitional judiciary committee. These critical points were made in a speech on February 2, 2011, but no progress has been made on any of them.

Judge Mokhtar Yahyaoui, secretary-general of the AMT, welcomed the emergence of judicial reform as a matter of public debate for the first time in Tunisia, saying, “”there is no democracy, no equality, no freedom without an independent judiciary.” He argued that the judicial system has not changed a bit since the revolution, citing the continued presence of the government in the judicial process, corrupt judges, slow procedures, and the failure to prosecute criminals from the old regime. Tunisians cannot regain dignity without a system to guarantee legal rights and legal freedoms. Yayhaoui called for the immediate creation of a High Council of Justice with democratically-elected members.

Lawyer Anouar El-Bassi, spokesman of the Group of 25 Lawyers, called for transitional justice, arguing an essential element of a democratic transition.

Source: Le Temps