France to help train Lebanese prison wardens
Lebanon and France signed on Friday a joint agreement whereby prison authorities in Lebanon will benefit from French expertise in the field of prison management. Visiting French Justice Minister Rashida Dati and Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar inked a cooperation agreement between France”s National School of Prisons Management and Lebanon”s Institute of Judiciary Studies.
"The joint agreement between France”s National School of Prisons Management and Lebanon”s Institute of Judiciary Studies will help train and form prison wardens especially since the Interior Ministry is [gradually] turning over prison administration to the Justice Ministry," Dati told reporters during a news conference at the Justice Ministry.
An agreement protocol between the French and Lebanese Justice ministries is expected to be signed before December 29.
Minister Najjar for his part said it was high time Lebanon "transforms into a full-fledged state of the law."
Dati arrived in Beirut Thursday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Najjar.
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 gave a talk Thursday evening entitled "Reforms of the Judicial System in Lebanon" at Universite Saint Joseph.
"The judiciary should preserve certain maintenance but shun away from immobility and conservatism," Dati told the audience at the Pierre Abu Khater Amphitheater.
Dati said 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."