Lebanon, France to boost judiciary cooperation
Lebanon and France will sign a joint agreement for cooperation at the level of the judiciary, the French and Lebanese Justice Ministers said Thursday. "The agreement aims at combating organized crime, money laundering and terrorism, in addition to providing necessary training for the judicial police," French Justice Minister Rachida Dati told reporters after talks with her Lebanese counterpart, Ibrahim Najjar.
Dati arrived in Beirut Thursday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Najjar.
"The joint agreement also allows for judicial training and exchange of expertise between France”s National School of Magistrates and Lebanon”s Institute of Judiciary Studies in order to boost the Lebanese judicial body by bringing in new judges building on the French experience," Dati said.
"Also," she added, "France will help train and form prison wardens especially since the Interior Ministry is [gradually] turning over prison administration to the Justice Ministry."
She stressed the need for the full implementation of a 2002 law, under which judges can reduce prison verdicts. "This issue is of international concern, especially the aspect related to facilitating reintegration into society once freed," Dati said.
Dati and Najjar also discussed measures adopted for judicial appointments, mainly the appointments of Lebanon”s Higher Judicial Council, which are still pending.
Dati briefed Najjar about the techniques used in France and the reforms introduced to the system of judicial appointments.
Najjar, meanwhile, said the Justice Ministry will launch on Wednesday from Lebanon”s notorious Roumieh prison a campaign for the implementation of Law 422 of 2002, which gives magistrates the right to reduce prison sentences.
Dati also held separate talks with President Michel Sleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday.
On Thursday evening, Dati gave a talk entitled "Reforms of the Judicial System in Lebanon" at Lebanon”s prestigious French-medium UniversitŽ Saint Joseph.
"The judiciary should preserve certain maintenance but shun away from immobility and conservatism," Dati told the audience at a jampacked Pierre Abu Khater Amphitheatre.
Dati explained that the judiciary should "stay in line with the general principles that structure it."
"However," she added," "the judiciary should learn how to adapt itself, how to modernize its principles, and how to conduct self-reform." The French Justice Minister said the judiciary was "in permanent contact with the people and with the difficulties they face; therefore the judiciary has a long tradition of constantly adapting itself to new situations."
"Justice should communicate confidence," she said.
Dati said that since the Lebanese judicial system was "closely tied to the French judicial system and consequently should benefit from each others experiences."
"It”s high time to set the foundations for a more strict and effective but at the same time protective and humane judiciary," she added.