National and international speakers debate "Governance and Organization of Criminal Justice"
On Tuesday, March 6th, national and international speakers debated the organization and management of criminal justice at an international conference held at the Novo Turismo Hotel in Dili. The conference was organized by the Court of Appeal of Timor-Leste, in partnership with the European Union and the Camões - Institute of Cooperation and Language, I.P., within the framework of the First Support Project for the Consolidation of Rule of Law in African Portuguese-speaking Countries (Portuguese acronym PALOP) and Timor-Leste.
The conference was officially opened by the Minister of Justice, Maria Ângela Carrascalão, and also included speeches from the representative of the Embassy of the European Union, Alexandros Zafiriou and from the Portuguese Ambassador, José Machado Vieira.
The Minister of Justice thanked the European Union, Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking countries for promoting actions that strengthen justice institutions and consolidate the rule of law, also stating that "Timor-Leste is committed in strengthening all aspects of Justice and judicial organizations so that we can carry out what we require from the rule of law, fulfilling the provisions of the Timorese Constitution, right from its first article."
In the first conference panel, José Lopes da Mota, Judge Counselor of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Portuguese Republic, addressed the issue of criminal justice organization in regards to international cooperation, explaining the procedures and rules of cooperation between States in the Justice area and the need of adjustment towards the renewed characteristics of international criminality.
The second speaker of this panel, Melisa Caldas, Commissioner in the Commission for Legislative and Justice Sector Reform and representing the President of CRL, Jorge Graça, described the evolution of the Timorese judicial system and presented the diagnostics carried out under the scope of the reform of the Timorese judicial organization, highlighting the need to understand the plurality of national and communal reality given the legal, political, cultural and social hybridization of the Timorese context.
Closing the first panel, Conceição Gomes, Executive Coordinator of the Permanent Observatory for the Portuguese Justice Authorities and the Training Unit for Legal and Judicial Training of Portugal, addressed "the judicial organization as a central reform of the justice system", explaining its relevant dimensions to allow for a better adaptation to the social and economic context in the country where it operates.
In the second panel, João Carlos Trindade, Judge Counselor of the Supreme Court of Justice of Mozambique, spoke about the Mozambican experience in legal and judicial training. In the same panel Marcelo Piragibe, director of the Brazilian National School for Magistrates, addressed the issue of judicial impartiality - statute and jurisdiction. Finally, the last speaker, Diogo Ravara, Judge of Law and Professor of the Portuguese Superior Council for the Public Prosecution, presented the analysis of the main characteristics regarding each of the professions involved in the administration of justice in Timor-Leste.
The last panel of the conference had presentations by José Mouraz Lopes, Judge Counselor of the Portuguese Court of Auditors, on "management for criminal investigation", and by Nuno Coelho, Chief Judge and scientific advisor of the PACED, on "governing, managing and organizing justice. "
The conference had great participation from various justice institutions such as the Office of the General Attorney of the Republic, the Court of Appeal, the Criminal Investigation Forensic Police and academics of the Timor Lorosae National University.
During the 7th and 9th of March a training seminar on governance and criminal justice organization will be held with participants from PACED partner institutions. These training seminars have also been held in Angola and Mozambique and will be replicated by PACED in Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe. The manuals related to this training can be consulted through the following electronic addresses:
- Handbook for Criminal Investigation:
http://www.paced-paloptl.com/uploads/publicacoes_ficheiros/paced_manual_investigacaocriminal_jml_vf.pdf
- Handbook for judicial organization and management:
http://www.paced-paloptl.com/uploads/publicacoes_ficheiros/paced_manual_orgegestaojudiciarias_nc_vf.pdf
