Jordan: Cooperates with US to strengthen rule of law

Minister of Justice Ayman Odeh and US Ambassador David Hale on Tuesday marked the completion of the automation of Jordan’s court system.

The two officials, who were joined by Chief Justice Mohammad Al Rakkad and other judges and ministers, noted the success of Jordanian-American cooperation in the area of judicial reform, according to a statement released by the US embassy yesterday.

“Jordan has made great progress in modernising its entire judicial system to be more responsive, more transparent and more independent,” Hale said at yesterday’s ceremony.

The automation initiative began in 2004 with $19 million in support from the USAID-backed Rule of Law Project.

Over the last four years, the initiative has assisted the Kingdom in automating court procedures and increasing public access to information through automated systems and kiosks.

As a result of the initiative, all courts in the Kingdom are now computerised and key judicial departments have been streamlined to improve their efficiency and transparency, according to the statement.

In addition to automating court procedures, the Rule of Law Project has supported the Kingdom’s efforts to promote the independence of the judiciary.

With the programme’s assistance, Jordan strengthened the capacity of its Inspection and Monitoring Directorates to evaluate judges’ performance, and worked with civil society organisations to enhance their role in advocating and monitoring judicial independence, the statement added.

Ambassador Hale praised the recent achievements made in the Kingdom’s judiciary and predicted further cooperation between the two countries.

“The United States will continue to assist the Jordanian judiciary in their homegrown efforts to achieve an effective, efficient and independent justice system that protects human rights, encourages fair competition and promotes economic growth,” he said.

-- Jordan Times

Saudi Arabia: Lawyer awarded US human rights prize

RIYADH (AFP) — A Saudi lawyer and human rights activist who is banned from travelling abroad has received the International Human Rights Lawyer Award from the American Bar Association (ABA), he told AFP Friday.

"This award shows that there is an international monitoring of human rights work in Saudi Arabia," lawyer Abdurrahman al-Lahem said.

"It values the work of a large group of activists in Saudi society who are defending human rights. I am full of hope that this group will grow larger," he added.

In a letter sent on Wednesday, ABA told Lahem that he was selected for the award, to honour his "bravery in standing up to injustice and ... (his) dedicated advocacy work."

"We commend your work in upholding human rights and due process in Saudi Arabia in the face of persecution," said the letter, a copy of which was seen by AFP.

But Lahem will not be able to receive the award in person during a conference held in Vienna in July unless a four-year-old travel ban imposed on him by the Saudi authorities is lifted.

He said that the award "sends a positive signal that there is a margin (of freedom) which has allowed a lawyer to be active," rather than tarnishing the kingdom's human rights record.

Lahem has had a history of confrontations with the judicial authorities in Saudi Arabia, whose courts apply sharia, or Islamic law.

In November, his lawyer licence was revoked by a court after he objected to a ruling which penalised a female rape victim, who was later pardoned by King Abdullah after an international uproar over the case.

He also spent some nine months behind bars for criticising the judiciary while defending three reformists who were jailed for demanding a constitutional monarchy. The four were pardoned by King Abdullah in August 2005.