International Judicial Training Program

International Judicial Training Program

A program of the University of Georgia School of Law

International Judicial Training Program

“By far the most exciting development from our trip to Georgia has been the establishment of what we call over here a Fast Track Court. Simply described, it is a modern system of court which relies heavily on information and communication technology. We have organized the new court system in such a way that when a case is filed, it should take a maximum of six months to conclude (including the delivery of judgment) instead of the present sevenyear wait.�

Justice Alan Brobbey Judicial Service of Ghana

International Judicial Training Program

Where

The Dean Rusk Center for International Law and Policy is the international arm of the University of Georgia School of Law. The Rusk Center fosters collaboration between law school faculty, and students, the law school community and diverse international partners on foreign and transnational legal policy matters. The center, named after former Secretary of State Dean Rusk, was established in 1977 to expand the international scope of research, teaching, and service at the School of Law. The Rusk Center undertakes an array of international research and outreach projects such as the International Judicial Training Program and hosts special events such as conferences, colloquia, and lectures by visiting scholars.

The Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of the State of Georgia (ICJE) collaborates closely with Rusk Center staff to orchestrate the International Judicial Training Program. The ICJE conducts continuing education programs for elected officials and court personnel of Georgia’s judicial branch and in 1989 and 1999 was awarded the American Bar Association Judicial Education Award.

For more information, please see Law School, Rusk Center, and ICJE websites as follows:

Learning Facilities

All law school facilities and resources are made available to program participants, who become full members of the academic community during their brief stay in Athens.

Alexander Campbell King Law Library

The University of Georgia School of Law library has a rich, established collection of more than 500,000 digital and print titles.

Our international law librarian is available to assist program participants in obtaining access to these materials while at the university and can counsel participants on obtaining access to these or similar materials in their home countries. The library provides ubiquitous wireless access as well as task lighting and power outlets at virtually every seat, and our two-story picture windows offer a view of the beautifully landscaped North Campus.

http://law.uga.edu/ http://www.law.uga.edu/dean-rusk-center-international-law-and-policy http://icje.uga.edu/

International Judicial Training Program

How

The following subjects are covered during the standard training program: - Judicial independence - Court administration - Judicial budgeting - Caseload management - Court technology - Communication in the courtroom - Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms - Continuing education for judges & court personnel - Implementation of judicial reforms - Anti-corruption, ethics & professionalism - Leadership

Program Options

While the standard training protocol has proven to have broad geographical application, programs may be tailored to meet the particular needs of each country or judiciary. The length of training programs, the number of participants and/or training events within a series, and the particular emphasis given to diverse themes may all be adapted accordingly. Please contact us directly for additional information.

Action Plans

At the end of each program, participants write action plans for in-country implementation in which specific strategies for court modernization or judicial reform are targeted. The importance of comparative perspectives derived from intensive study of the U. S. court system is evidenced in the following plans for action identified by former program participants: • Increase caseload efficiency through court automation (electronic filing, randomized listing of cases, computerized networking between the courtroom and registry, etc.).

• Separate administrative and financial obligations from the workload of judges to facilitate efficiency in case adjudication.

• Strengthen the court clerk system to alleviate the workload of the registrar and minimize case flow delays.

• Promote efficiency and transparency in the courts through a system of monitoring and evaluation, including performance indicators and their integration into a computerized, system-wide network for peer review.

• Improve public perceptions of the judicial service through increased efficiency in case adjudication and public education initiatives.

• Design and Implement continuing education programs for judges and court personnel at all levels of the court system, integrating these programs under one umbrella institution to promote greater integration of courts and court functions.

• Prepare a bench manual for continuing judicial education with input from judges.

• Establish mechanisms by which the institute of continuing education may easily communicate barriers to effective judicial practice to the appropriate legal councils, bar associations and judiciaries, which then would provide guidelines for continuing education initiatives.

• Implement an award system as an incentive for more efficient administration of justice.

• Include seminars on ethics and professionalism in continuing education programs.

International Judicial Training Program

Why

In recent years, increased numbers of countries in political and economic transition and greater reliance on the market to mediate economic activity have generated a growing need for effective public institutions to regulate private sector activity, facilitate economic development and safeguard human rights. Within this setting, judicial reform has emerged as a development priority due to the important role of legal and judicial systems in regulating transactions with unknown actors and ensuring just outcomes of disputes. Improved efficiency and accountability in the administration of justice will in turn foster and enable an environment conducive to

democratization, trade and investments, and social justice.

The experience of other judicial systems may play a critical role in the identification of specific mechanisms to most effectively assist in the achievement of reform objectives. By serving as a template for alternative procedures, standards and guidelines, this comparative lens provides an opportunity for understanding how baseline differences affect more substantive aspects of judicial structure and function.

The Dean Rusk Center for International Law and Policy at the University of Georgia, in collaboration with the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education, assists foreign state, and national governments

in strengthening their judiciaries through the training of judges and court personnel. The program seeks to foster increased judicial independence, efficiency and accountability, thereby increasing public and investor confidence in national judiciaries. The emphasis on judicial independence, court administration, case management, ethics, continuing education and implementation is designed to foster long-term, systemic change in participant countries.

Objectives

- To support economic development, democratic process and social justice in partnering countries by fostering more effective administration of justice.

- To assist national governments in strengthening the independence, efficiency and accountability of their judiciaries through the training of judges and court personnel.

- To provide foreign court personnel an opportunity to identify concrete strategies for judicial reform through intensive comparative study of the guiding principles, standards and procedures of a U.S. court system.

- To work closely with members of foreign judiciaries on the development of continuing judicial education institutions and programs in their respective countries.

A strong and independent judiciary is the foundation of a democratic country’s stability.

International Judicial Training Program Since its inception in 1998, the program has trained more than 1,000 judges and court personnel from around the world.

The International Judicial Training Program (IJTP) at the University of Georgia seeks to support economic development, democratic process and social justice in partnering countries by fostering more effective administration of justice. The Dean Rusk Center, in collaboration with the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education, facilitates such reform by offering capacity-building judicial administration programs tailored to the individual needs of each participating country.

— Mission Statement

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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT: María Eugenia Giménez IJTP Co-Director Dean Rusk Center for International Law and Policy 234 Dean Rusk Hall University of Georgia Athens, Ga 30602-6012 Phone: 706.542.5138 Fax: 706.542.7822 Email: mgimenez@uga.edu http://www.law.uga.edu/international-judicial-training-program-ijtp-university-georgia