Judicial Institute & IDLO Host Two-Day Workshop for Trial Judges (02/05/18)

The James A.A. Pierre Judicial Training Institute, JI, at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia has conducted a two-day training workshop for Trail Judges in Liberia. The workshop began on Wednesday January 31, 2018 and ended on Thursday February 1, 2018.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop sponsored by the International Development Law Organization, IDLO, Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor, Sr. praised the IDLO for partnering with the Judicial Institute in an effort to continue the conduct of such workshops, aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of trial judges across the country.

 Justice Korkpor described the training, which has as a focus, “the understanding and handling of Sexual Based Violence Cases”, as very significant and urged that every member of the Trial Judges Association attend such training workshops in the future.

“This training is very important. When we have a training of this nature, it is important that everybody attend, if that is the order from the Trail Judges Association through the Judicial Institute and meeting my approval.”

The Chief Justice’s statement was in protest to the low attendance of magistrates and judges during the opening ceremony which took place on the 6^th floor of Temple of Justice.

Justice Korkpor added that the topics were quite relevant and admonished the membership of the Trial Judges Association to take full advantage of every facilitation and other “continuing education program” since that was the purpose for establishing the Judicial Training Institute.

Also speaking at the opening ceremony, The Acting Executive Director of the Judicial Institute, Atty. Moses Soribah said reports from a training conducted in 2017 prompted a repeat of the topics being discussed at the current workshop.

“There are still challenges when it comes to gathering of evidence in relations to sexual based violence offenses in our courts around the country, and even in Monrovia where we are’’ Atty. Soribah noted.

He called on the Trial Judges Association to set up a committee on training and continual legal education to work with the Judicial Institute to design year-round training topics and identify facilitators to meet challenges the JI usually encounters with donors when it comes to organizing such workshops.

In response to the suggestion by the Judicial Institute, the Trial Judges Association through its President, Judge Roosevelt Willie, promised to set up the committee as recommended by Atty. Soribah.

Speaking on the significance of the workshop, Judge Willie told the gathering that the training was meant to broaden their horizons and enable them to learn from other jurisdictions, new practices that will enable them proficiently manage the courts of Liberia.

Topics deliberated upon in the workshop include In-depth understanding of SGBV, School-Based Sexual Harassment, Human Trafficking and Evidence Analysis in SGBV Cases. Others were Courtroom Management, Jury Directions, Protecting the Judiciary against Corruption and Hallmark of a Trial Judge.

Judge Margaret Victor and Judge Selby A. M. Baqwa of South Africa facilitated the workshop. Associate Justice Kabineh M. Ja’neh of the Supreme Court of Liberia and the Resident Circuit Judge of Criminal Court C, Judge Blamo Dixon, also facilitated a topic each at the workshop.