ATTACHMENT_J_10_Palestinian_Justice_Enhancement_Project_Year_Two_Annual_Report.pdf

ANNUAL REPORT # 2

Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program Task order 263‐I‐03‐06‐00018‐00 1 October, 2011 to 30 September, 2012

Grantee Student Forum Institute (SFI) conducts a tree planting event with students and police officers in Bethlehem

This publication was produced for the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International.

PALESTINIAN JUSTICE ENHANCEMENT

PROGRAM

YEAR TWO ANNUAL REPORT

1 OCTOBER, 2011 TO 30 SEPTEMBER, 2012

Table of Contents

Acronyms

Executive Summary

Subcomponent 1A - Upgrade the capacities of the HJC Key Result Area: Improve HJC services to the public Key Result Area: Provide training and technical assistance to HJC Departments

Subcomponent 1B - Strengthen targeted functions within the MOJ Key Result Area: Improve MOJ public services

Component 2 – Strengthen the capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals Key Result Area: Strengthen the capacity of the PJI Key Result Area: Strengthen core and specialized legal skills for judges and court staff Key Result Area: Strengthen practical legal education

Component 3 – Broaden public awareness of Rule of Law and engagement with the justice sector Key Result Area: Enhance HJC and MOJ public outreach capacities

Component 4 – Use windows of opportunity to facilitate the development of legal, institutional, and policy frameworks that enhance judicial independence and justice sector coordination

Key Result Area: Increase justice sector strategic planning and coordination

Monitoring and Evaluation

PMP Indicator Results

Acronyms CIDA Canadian International Development Agency

COP Chief of Party

COR Contract Officer Representative

CSO Civil Society Organization

DCOP Deputy Chief of Party

DJS Diploma Judicial Studies

EUPOL COPPS EU Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support

DQA Data Quality Assessment

GIAs Grant Implementation Agreements

HJC High Judicial Council

ICDL International Computer Driving License

JIC Justice Information Center

JLC Palestinian-Israeli Joint Legal Committee

JRO Justice Records Offices

KRA Key Results Area

LAD Legal Affairs Department

MOI Ministry of Interior

MOJ Ministry of Justice

MOPA Ministry of Planning Affairs

NSU Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit

PA Palestinian Authority

PACE Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project

PIR Project Intermediate Results

PJEP Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program

PIRS Project Indicator Reference Sheets

PMP Performance Monitoring Plan

PJI Palestinian Judicial Institute

RFA Request for Application

SAACB State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau

TOT Training of Trainers

USAID United States Agency for International Development

UNDP United Nations Development Program

UNODC United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime

WB/G West Bank/Gaza

Executive Summary The Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program (PJEP) seeks to support the Palestinian Authority in developing the capacity of the justice sector in the West Bank. The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Chemonics International.

The goal of this program is to strengthen public confidence in and respect for justice sector institutions and the Rule of Law in the West Bank. All of the activities will contribute to building capacity among targeted justice sector actors and institutions and will be directed to supporting the priorities and objectives of those actors and institutions. Assistance under this program will be closely coordinated with activities supported by other donors and U.S. government actors that aim to strengthen justice sector institutions and enhance the performance of the justice system.

The project will achieve its goal through the four components which include:

Component 1: Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions Component 2: Strengthen capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals Component 3: Broaden public awareness of the Rule of Law and engagement with justice sector institutions Component 4: Use windows of opportunity to facilitate the development of legal, institutional, and policy frameworks that enhance judicial independence and justice sector coordination.

Early this year, PJEP received news that a congressional hold on FY 2011funds had been implemented. The project had to re-evaluate all planned project activities and revised and received USAID approval for an interim work plan that focused on the highest priority activities.

This re-evaluation included downsizing PJEP staff. PJEP halted the hiring process of technical and support staff who were under recruitment. Several cuts to project activities were also made, but toward the end of the year, PJEP received notice that all obligated funds for FY11 were released. PJEP immediately began re-vamping project activities and began the recruitment process for several positions. As of the end of the year, PJEP had hired staff for the following positions: Activities Coordinator, Senior Grants Accountant, Justice Institution Strengthening Specialist, Reporting and Communications Officer, Grants Officer, Media Officer and Legal Researcher as well as several embedded positions for justice sector institutions.

During the year, PJEP provided support to the High Judicial Council (HJC) by upgrading West Bank courts with the purchase of IT equipment and furniture as well as upgrading the Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) new office in Ramallah and the Justice Record Offices (JRO) in Tubas and Nablus. To support the HJC’s efforts to bring the judiciary together for discussion, PJEP sponsored the HJC’s Fifth Annual Judicial Conference in August, 2012. PJEP also provided capacity building training on various topics for MOJ and HJC staff. In addition, PJEP recruited project interns who are working to electronically archive documents and are assisting the MOJ and HJC in reducing case backlog by scanning and filing documents in their appropriate place. A number of consultants were contracted to provide technical assistance to the MOJ and HJC including a Case Management consultant who will assist with conducting a case weighting study that will provide judicial workload informational standards for the HJC. A Joint Legal Committee Specialist was hired and is embedded at the MOJ and is working to improve the operations of the Joint Legal Committee (JLC). The JLC has recently been revitalized to provide a venue for consideration of practical legal issues concerning both Palestinian and Israeli counterparts. Toward the end of the second year, PJEP entered into a joint project activity with the UDAID Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project (PACE) to completely remodel and furnish the Ramallah Conciliation Court.

To support the Palestinian Judicial Institute (PJI), the project completed the upgrades to the computer lab that is used by judges, lawyers and court staff as a resource for training and other educational purposes. PJEP also provided training for judges on Land Settlement Law, Insurance Law and Judicial Mediation as well as designed and conducted a Training of Trainers (TOT) program. Selected HJC court staff, PJI staff and HJC Training Department staff took part in the TOT program. In addition, PJEP reviewed and edited the Judicial Ethics course that was developed by a High Court judge. USAID and the EU contributed to the development of the Judicial Ethics course material. PJEP also produced and published the Civil Law course material. Both the Judicial Ethics and Civil Law courses will be added to PJI’s Diploma Judicial Studies (DJS) program.

In its continued effort to support law schools the project conducted local and national moot court competitions for students from An Najah, Hebron, Ahliya and Al Quds law schools. In addition, PJEP provided computers and completed the remodeling of the moot court facilities for Al Ahliya, Hebron, and An Najah Universities, and provided books and legal periodicals for law schools’ libraries.

The project also awarded 7 small grants to qualified Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who work to build public awareness of legal rights and responsibilities, and enhances the public’s understanding of the justice system. To assist the HJC’s public outreach efforts the project provided support by printing the HJC Annual Report and the quarterly newsletter titled “Qada’una” (Our Justice System). PJEP completed the courtroom drama radio series campaign that helped contribute to the public understanding of legal issues and awareness of the court system. PJEP also supported the Judicial Media Conference that brought together justice sector actors and the media. To assist the MOJ, PJEP provided support for the Justice Record Office (JRO) and Authentication Department outreach campaign. The campaign highlighted the services conducted at the JRO and Authentication Department. And finally, PJEP provided film-editing and film-making trainings to MOJ and HJC media unit staff. The trainings helped build the capacity of the staff which is now better equipped to produce and edit short films and documentaries.

And finally, PJEP took part in a meeting with the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) upon the request from USAID. The purpose of the meeting was to examine possible assistance that PJEP can provide the SAACB. The SAACB Director explained the work of the institution including their efforts to enhance good governance and promoting the principles of the Rule of Law. PJEP is expected to provide targeted assistance in the coming year.

PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

Early this year, PJEP received news that a congressional hold on FY 2011funds had been implemented. With this information, the project re-evaluated all planned project activities and revised and received USAID approval for an interim work plan that focuses on highest priority activities. This re-evaluation included downsizing PJEP staff. The positions scaled back included the Justice Institution Strengthening Expert, a project assistant and a driver. Short term international experts were notified to leave the project and return home. Two staff members including the Court Strengthening Specialist and the translator were placed on part-time contracts. PJEP halted the hiring process of technical and support staff that was under recruitment. Several cuts to project activities were also made including planned trainings to HJC and MOJ staff, the development of several DJS courses, grants cuts and planned conferences.

Months after the congressional hold was announced, partial funding was released and PJEP was able to re-instate some project activities. The additional activities included supporting service delivery in the Hebron, Dura and Tulkram Courts, increasing specialized court staff training by 50% and assisting with producing and printing public outreach materials for the HJC and the MOJ. The total obligated funds for the first two fiscal years of the project were 6 million dollars, in contrast to the 9.5 million expected. The funding situation shortage has resulted in implementing limited activities compared to the original work plan activities.

But by the end of quarter 3, PJEP received notice that all obligated funds for FY11 were released. PJEP immediately began re-vamping project activities and began the recruitment process for several positions. PJEP has hired staff for the following positions: Activities Coordinator, Senior Grants Accountant, Justice Institution Strengthening Specialist, Communication & Reporting Officer, Grants Officer, Media Officer and Legal Researcher as well as several embedded positions for justice sector institutions. Toward the end of the year plan began developing the work plan activities and budget for FY 13.

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

The goal of the PJEP is to strengthen public confidence and respect for justice sector institutions and the Rule of Law in the West Bank. All PJEP activities contribute to building capacity among targeted justice sector officials and institutions and are directed to supporting the priorities and objectives of those officials and institutions. This section describes progress, challenges, and results of the project activities implemented in Year 2.

Component 1 – Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions

The goal of these activities is to enable the judiciary to become more responsive to the public and to improve court user satisfaction concerning the fairness, accessibility, and efficiency of court processes and services. Rapid and visible improvements in court processes and services are a priority. The MOJ plays an important role in developing policy, formulating, coordinating, and implementing strategic plans, and in managing relationships with other justice sector institutions.

It also provides critical services to the public. Therefore, focusing PJEP’s assistance to strengthen the public services provided by the MOJ and its outreach to the public is a priority.

This component contains two subcomponents: upgrading the capacities of the HJC, and strengthening targeted functions within the MOJ.

Subcomponent 1A - Upgrade the capacities of the HJC

Key Result Area: Improve HJC services to the public

Court upgrades: In order to ensure that PJEP is providing needed assistance to the HJC courts, several site visits were conducted throughout the West Bank earlier this year. PJEP’s COP and the Component 1 leader visited courts in the central, northern and southern parts of the West Bank. In the center, visits were made to the Ramallah Court of Conciliation, Court of First Instance, Court of Appeals, Notification Office, Notary Public Office and the archiving office for the courts as well as Jericho’s First Instance Court. In the north, visits were made to the Tubas and Salfit Conciliation Courts as well as Tulkram and Qalqilia First Instance Courts and Jenin and Nablus courts. And finally, site visits in the south included Halhul and Dora Conciliation Courts as well as Hebron and Bethlehem First Instance Courts. During the visits the

COP was introduced to the Chief Judges of the courts and was given a briefing on court procedures. The purpose of these visits was to prioritize and examine the possibility of providing support to the courts which would include the purchase of equipment and furniture for the purpose of improving service delivery and making court processes more efficient. After conducting the visits and after several meetings with the HJC it was decided that the Tubas Conciliation Court was to be the first court to receive assistance. PJEP provided the court with computers, chairs, a fax machine, signage and an A/C unit. PJEP also provide metal shelving to the Civil Judgment and Notary Public departments and the Court Registration office.

PJEP and the HJC then identified Hebron, Dora, Tulkram, and Salfit courts in order to receive assistance. It was agreed that PJEP would implement the upgrades once the HJC completes the

PJEP provides metal shelving to various West Bank court needed structural rehabilitation work for the courts. PJEP provided the HJC with a needs assessment to identify the type of rehabilitation required in each court. By mid-year, the upgrades were completed and PJEP delivered furniture and IT equipment for the First Instance and Conciliation Courts, Civil Judgment and Notary Public departments, as well as the archiving rooms in every department for these courts. PJEP also coordinated the carpentry work for the courts. The carpentry work included providing more counter space which have seated additional staff working in the court and redesigning the customer service layout in order to accommodate waiting areas.

Also this year, a separate inspection visit was conducted to the Civil Judgment department in Nablus where PJEP later provided shelving, counters, office chairs, and curtains. The upgrades included an additional 3 counters that have allowed the staff at the Civil Judgment department to serve more court users at a faster rate.

Toward the end of the year, PJEP and the HJC identified the following courts to receive further assistance: Salfit, Nablus, Jenin, Tubas, Tulkram, Qalqilia, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Dora, Halhoul, Hebron, and Jericho. PJEP has begun procuring IT equipment and furniture. The upgrade to these courts will be completed in the next fiscal year.

Ramallah Conciliation Court upgrades: During the year, PJEP was requested by USAID to collaborate with the USAID PACE project in rehabilitating one of the busiest courts in Ramallah. The Ramallah Conciliation Court handles all misdemeanor cases in Ramallah governorate, and a wide range of civil cases related to land, property, and basic commercial disputes. In 2010, the court handled 32,142 cases—the highest volume of cases handled by any Palestinian court during that year. In comparison, the Ramallah First Instance Court handled only 2,805 cases in 2010, which means that over 92% of cases handled in the Ramallah governorate are handled by the Conciliation Court. This easily classifies conciliation courts as the primary point of contact between Palestinian citizens and the justice system.

To get a quick start, PJEP and PACE began visiting the court to determine the preliminary cost for re-designing the court. Upgrades to the court will begin early next fiscal year. PJEP will provide the court with furniture and IT equipment and will pay for engineering and architecture fees while PACE will rehabilitate and upgrade the court structure. As such, this activity is based on the need for more efficient use of space for public customers, including queuing systems, additional seating, and air conditioning. It will also separate judges from public areas, helping to control public access and provide judges with an improved work environment. The refurbishment will also improve the filing areas and create appropriate locked areas for evidence storage.

PJEP upgrades West Bank courts

Court of Appeals upgrades: Also during the year, PJEP completed the final delivery of furniture to the Court of Appeals. PJEP provided chairs for judges, court staff, and the public, and curtains for courtrooms. This delivery complements earlier PJEP upgrades of furniture for judge’s offices, public waiting rooms, and the Court of Appeals courtroom. The end result of this activity is a more efficient and user-friendly use of space, better access to the court, enhanced employee performance and improved services to the public.

In order to measure the impact of how this improved the HJC services to the public, PJEP conducted a pre-survey and a post-survey. The survey measured employee performance and the speed in which the public received services at the court. The in-house survey results show that as a result of the facilities upgrades 92.8% of staff stated it now takes less than 15 minutes for court users to receive service. This reflects a 42.8% increase in faster services provided to the public. The survey results affirm the positive impact this activity had for both court staff and the public.

Technical Support to the HJC: In order to continue supporting the justice sector institutions, PJEP hired 44 data entry interns to assist at the Civil Judgment and Notary Public departments in various courts in the West Bank. The interns received training and an orientation on how to enter data into the Al Mizan 2 system. PJEP provided 24 computers for the HJC in order to assist with the data entry process. The interns are also scanning backlogged documents using the heavy duty scanners

PJEP provided. The assistance will help the departments reduce its case backlog and assist in archiving documents that have yet to be filed in their proper place.

During the year, PJEP provided a Case Management consultant to assist the HJC in developing new and effective case flow measurement and other statistical tools. The consultant met with HJC department heads and staff to discuss performance measures and backlog reduction strategies. The consultant also requested case filing and disposition statistics extracted from the Mizan 2 database and began drafting assessment reports of existing statistical tools for the case management currently used by the HJC. The consultant drafted annotated profiles and

Ramallah Court of Appeals receives IT equipment and furniture upgrades

PJEP hires interns to provide assistance to the HJC recommended new case management tools and backlog reduction strategies. The consultant also developed the template for data extraction of the Al Mizan 2 sample data to be used for the case management at the HJC.

In addition, PJEP’s Case Management consultant submitted a detailed report of the findings and recommendations in order to improve the case flow management at the HJC. The report was used as a guide when meeting with the head of the HJC Planning Unit to discuss the implementation of activities that will help improve case management at the courts. The consultant, with agreement and cooperation of the HJC, developed a case management activities list that included the following:

Develop time standards (this activity was started by the EU-funded SEYEDA II project.

Now that SEYADA has closed, PJEP will support the HJC in finishing and implementing case time standards) Develop a time standards implementation timetable Develop a case weighting study Develop plans for a backlog reduction task force, to be considered after case time standards have been finalized and adopted Develop recommendations for a model courts program

The consultant along with the HJC also had discussions on subjects including the development of the case weighting study that will be conducted in October 2012, and the status of the case time standards activity. PJEP will use its data entry interns to file and review the data for the time standards activity currently taking place. These activities will help the HJC develop a more effective case flow management process leading to improvement in the courts.

Moreover, PJEP recruited a Statistics Specialist to provide assistance to the technical office at the HJC. The Specialist will develop data collection forms that will be used for work programs and statistical analysis. In addition, the Specialist will train court staff on using the data collection forms as well as work with the staff to develop indicators that will help evaluate the court’s performance. The Statistics Specialist is embedded at the HJC. PJEP’s Legal Researcher consultant for the HJC is preparing a concept paper detailing a training that will be conducted for the HJC Research Center staff. The training which will be conducted by PJEP’s consultant will focus on building the skills and capacity of the staff.

HJC IT Equipment Upgrade: Early this year, PJEP purchased IT equipment including personal computers (PC’s), heavy duty scanners, printers, networking systems, video cameras, digital camera accessories, and photocopiers for the HJC. PJEP delivered 56 computers and 20 heavy duty scanners to the HJC Procurement Department, which distributed them to the various West Bank courts and departments. The computers will be used in the courtrooms for printing case transcripts for the judges, lawyers, and prosecutors. The scanners will be used to archive case files and will assist in improving the case management in the courts. This activity is part of PJEP’s overall goal to improve the public perception of professionalism in the courts and to increase access to court user information. The IT equipment will also facilitate better services to the public as well as assist the staff in performing their work duties more efficiently.

To further assist the HJC, MOJ and PJI to improve their IT capabilities, PJEP’s IT consultant conducted a preliminary needs assessment. The consultant presented the findings and recommendations of the needs assessment report to PJEP who will use the findings to determine what type of activities to implement at the HJC, MOJ and PJI. Additionally, PJEP’s IT consultant met with head of HJC Training Department to discuss the requirements needed for establishing a training database for the HJC Training Department. The database will be used to track the number of trainings that take place and the staff taking the trainings. The database will also help to avoid duplication of trainings as well as assist in coordinating training schedules.

Key Result Area: Provide training and technical assistance to HJC Departments

Essential skills training: Keyboarding training targeting 47 HJC and 10 MOJ staff in Hebron, Tulkram, Nablus and Ramallah was conducted this year. The 60 hour training sessions focused on speed and accuracy of typing documents and transcripts. As a result, the training has enabled the HJC and MOJ staff to be more efficient and accurate when producing official documents.

HJC staff members working in the courts are now better equipped to type case transcripts more quickly, and both the HJC and the MOJ staff are better qualified to manage case files. The trained justice sector staff members are also now more capable of providing better and faster services to the public.

To measure impact and success of the keyboarding training, each trainee participated in a pre-test and post-test. The results show a 28% increase in typing accuracy and a 15 word per minute increase in the typing speed of the participants.

To recognize this achievement, a ceremony was held on February 16, 2012 at the HJC Media

Center. The Chief Justice and the head of the Court Administration Department hosted the ceremony and attendees included USAID’s Democracy and Governance Deputy Director, USAID PJEP’s Contract Officer Representative (COR), the PJEP Chief of Party (COP) and Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), and the trainees.

To further assist the justice sector institutions, PJEP conducted level one and two English language training for MOJ and HJC administrators. The 16 hour English language training sessions helped to improve the English language skills of the administrators who conduct coordination meetings with international donors. The training also served to provide accessibility to English language resources for all staff. In total, 18 HJC and 13 MOJ staff took part in the English language training.

A pre-test and post-test to measure the impact and success of the training was conducted. The level one result indicates that the trainees’ English language knowledge increased by 25% after receiving the training. The level two training shows a 30% increase in the trainees’ English language knowledge.

HJC staff completes 60 hours of keyboarding training

PJEP held the English language graduation ceremony at the HJC Media Center. The head of the Court Administration Department Judge Izzat Rameeni thanked USAID/PJEP for funding the training. Judge Izzat congratulated the trainees on their dedication, and PJEP’s COP highlighted PJEP’s commitment to the HJC. Both Judge Izzat and PJEP’s COP presented the 18 HJC trainees with certificates of completion.

International Computer Driving License (ICDL) Basic Computer Skills training: During the year, PJEP launched and completed the 60 hour “Basic Computer Skills” (ICDL) training for 68 HJC staff from various courts throughout the West Bank and 15 MOJ staff. The training was conducted in four locations including Tulkram, Nablus, Hebron, and Ramallah. The training focused on the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the use of the internet and e-mail.

The head of the Court Administration Department Judge Izzat Rameeni launched the first session in Ramallah and commented on the significance of the training course and emphasized the importance of staff to dedicate their time to completing the course in a successful manner in order to receive the best possible results. The overall goal of the ICDL training was to enable the court staff to work more efficiently and to have a better command of the computer and its functions. The training also helped improve the computer skills of the court staff which will allow the staff to provide better and more efficient services to the public.

The 5th Judicial Conference: This year, PJEP supported the HJC 5th Annual Judicial Conference which took place on August 30-31, 2012 at the Jacir Intercontinental Hotel in Bethlehem. The two-day conference titled “Respect for the Judiciary and the Independence of Judges” brought together 170 West Bank and Gaza judges to discuss major achievements of the judicial authority and to address challenges facing the courts and judges as well as to produce recommendations to improve the performance of the judicial authority. Attendees included the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, USAID’s Director of Democracy and Governance, USAID’s Contract Officer Representative (COR), PJEP’s Chief of Party (COP) and Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP). Also in attendance were the Attorney General, the Governor of Bethlehem and over 100 invited guests including ministers and CSO representatives. During his opening speech Prime Minister Salam Fayyad spoke of the importance of keeping the judiciary an independent entity. In his opening speech, Chief Justice Fareed Al Jallad thanked USAID and PJEP for all the support that

HJC staff takes part in the English language training

PJEP supports the 5th Annual Judicial Conference in Bethlehem has been provided to the judiciary. At the end of the opening session the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice presented plaques of appreciation to 5 West Bank judges who retired this year.

Key Result Area: Assist in activation and development of the Palestinian-Israeli Joint Legal Committee (JLC): The JLC has recently been revitalized to provide a venue for consideration of practical legal issues concerning both Palestinian and Israeli counterparts. The JLC is a venue for committee members to discuss troublesome technical issues in a technically-oriented, non-political setting. During the year, the JLC Specialist who is embedded at the MOJ worked on the following actions:

Extradition Request: A major success accomplished through the work of the JLC was the arrest of two Palestinian suspects who fled into Israel and were then extradited to the Palestinian territories. The extradition was based on a request which was prepared by the JLC Senior Specialist and was the first ever to be prepared and submitted to the Israeli counterpart according to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement. The extradition request was sent to the Israeli counterpart for review and approval. The JLC Specialist then received an official letter from the Legal Advisor to the Israeli Government and the Israeli Minister of Justice which approved the extradition requests of three Palestinian murder suspects from the West Bank city of Qalqilia.

After the approval of the extradition request the Israeli counterpart confirmed with the JLC Specialist that all legal procedures are in place for the search of and apprehension for the murder suspects. Two of the three suspects were arrested by the Israeli police then handed over to the Palestinian police and arraigned in court. With the successful extradition of these Palestinian suspects more extradition requests were submitted to the JLC Specialist. The Palestinian General Police Directorate provided the JLC Specialist with a list of 59 names and charges against Palestinian criminal suspects who have fled into Israel. The Specialist is examining the list of names and charges to verify if they meet the requirements of the extradition request procedure according to the annex 4 of the Palestinian-Israeli Interim Agreement.

Mutual Legal Assistance: The mutual legal assistance was set up in order to conduct judicial coordination between the Palestinian and Israeli counterparts in regards to civil cases and legal issues. As part of the assistance, the JLC Specialist follows up on these cases in both the Palestinian and Israeli courts. Through the mutual legal assistance, the JLC Specialist delivered the authentication document of a court decision that was made by a judge in Haifa. The Israeli counterpart requested the JLC Specialist to provide the proper documentation for the court decision. The JLC Specialist received other documents from the Israeli counterpart for authentication. The JLC Specialist will validate the documents that were provided by the Israeli counterpart at the Palestinian MOJ Authentication Department.

Legal Concept Papers Developed: The JLC Specialist developed a document titled “The Palestinian-Israeli JLC Mandates, Requirements, Obstacles and Objectives” that includes the functions, goals, and challenges facing the JLC committee. The Palestinian counterparts are now using this document as a guide and basis for the work the JLC conducts. In addition, the Specialist developed a legal concept paper on the Palestinian jurisdiction on Israeli ID holders who commit crimes in the Palestinian territories. The document clarifies a number of issues that have to do with the jurisdiction of this group and will be used as a reference on how to handle such cases in Palestine.

JLC Sub-committees: The JLC criminal evidence sub-committee and the JLC legal assistance sub-committee were formed with the assistance of the JLC Specialist. The formation of the sub-committees has made the JLC an institutionalized entity that is better prepared to tackle specific legal issues. These committees were formed through consultation between the Palestinian and Israeli counterparts. Through the sub-committees the Palestinian and Israeli counterparts met to discuss ways to strengthen the work of the JLC. Both parties agreed to promote the work of the criminal evidence sub-committee and to solve issues related to land files.

Currently, the JLC Specialist is arranging for a meeting through the Palestinian-Israeli JLC legal assistance sub-committee to discuss the use of evidence bags and to formally adopt the use of these bags for the transfer of evidence between the two counterparts. The Senior JLC Specialist received samples of the evidence bags from the representative of the EU Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support (EUPOL COPPS) for the purpose of using the bags when investigating a mutual criminal case between the Palestinian and Israeli police. The meeting is expected to take place early next fiscal year.

Coordination Meetings: The JLC Specialist met the EUPOL COPPS head of the Rule of Law to discuss the request by the EUPOL COPPS for the JLC to support the pilot of two cases in which the Palestinian counterpart transfers evidence to the Israeli counterpart in regard to crimes committed by Israelis in the Palestinian territories. The JLC Specialist informed the EUPOL COPPS representative that any support must be conducted through the JLC and the selection of the pilot cases must be approved by the Palestinian MOJ. A second meeting was held with the EUPOL COPPS to discuss conducting two workshops related to criminal investigations and the chain of evidence. The workshops will be conducted for the Palestinian and Israeli counterparts in the coming months.

Additionally, the JLC Specialist met with the Quartet Representative for the Rule of Law to discuss possible Quartet support to the JLC, including specifically for cases in area C that are related to the mandates of the JLC. The JLC Specialist briefed the Deputy Minister of Justice on the discussions, which then applauded the efforts of the Quartet for the support it provides to the

JLC.

Moreover, the JLC Specialist coordinated and participated in the meeting between the Minister of Justice and Mr. Michael Wood, a member of the International Law Commission of the United Nations and Legal Advisor for the Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit (NSU). The meeting discussed legal issues concerning the MOJ.

Other Duties: The Senior JLC Specialist helped build the archiving system for the JLC by requesting and receiving records of all previous JLC discussions and meetings from the Israeli counterparts. The Palestinian MOJ did not keep such records. The records received date back to 1996 when the JLC first became active. The archiving system will help the MOJ retrieve information in a more efficient manner.

The JLC Specialist is also working with a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) contractor who is gathering data on the Palestinian criminal justice system. The data will be used to develop a study that will measure impact of movement restrictions on the Palestinian justice sector.

In addition, the JLC Specialist worked with the Israeli Ministry of Civil Affairs to obtain permits to allow judges in Gaza to participate in case hearings being held at the HJC in the West Bank.

Moreover, the JLC Specialist and the Quartet Representative for the Rule of Law are working together to coordinate with the Israeli counterparts all permit requests submitted by the Palestinian counterparts.

Subcomponent 1B - Strengthen targeted functions within the MOJ

Key Result Area: Improve MOJ public services

Support to the MOJ: As well as providing legal services to the PA, the MOJ provides a number of services directly to the public. These include non-conviction certificates, certification of professional experts (e.g. translators and arbitrators), ratification and authentication of documents such as powers of attorney, certificates, and other legal documents that are ratified by PA representational offices abroad. Alternative dispute resolution documentation is also provided.

Early in the year, PJEP completed all the upgrades to the Justice Information Center (JIC) and Legal Affairs Department (LAD) which are housed at the new MOJ space. PJEP delivered office furniture, cabinets, A/C units, chairs, and installed curtains for the departments.

PJEP also provided IT equipment for the new MOJ space.

The equipment delivery included 36 computers, a sound system, and an internet-connected telephone system and telephone accessories.

To further assist the MOJ, PJEP provided additional upgrades to the JIC including signage, carpeting, and carpentry work. The carpentry work included the installation of a main and back stage, a podium, and tables. The JIC serves as a multi–purpose facility for the MOJ and hosts all press conferences and all media related events. The overall goal of this activity is to enhance the capacity of the MOJ departments to provide better services to the public and to support the MOJ’s public outreach and increase public satisfaction with the

MOJ.

MOJ's Media Unit department receives office furniture and equipment

Assist the MOJ establish and upgrade district JROs: Early in the year, PJEP’s COR, the COP and the Component 1 leader conducted site visits to the MOJ’s Nablus and Tubas offices. The purpose of the visits was to gather information on the needs for the offices in these areas. The Tubas site at the time of the visit did not have an established office but with PJEP’s assistance a MOJ office was created. The MOJ agreed to provide and renovate a space for the MOJ office in Tubas. Once the rehabilitation was completed, PJEP supplied chairs, desks, cabinets and seats for the public waiting area as well as installed the signage for the MOJ departments including the JRO, LAD, Forensic office and the Office of the Director. PJEP also provided the Tubas JRO with work station units that seat three MOJ staff. The MOJ has appointed one staff member to work at the office.

These facilities upgrades will allow the public to receive MOJ related services such as obtaining Non-Conviction Certificates at the Tubas office instead of traveling to Ramallah or Nablus.

For the MOJ Nablus JRO, PJEP delivered chairs, desks, cabinets, and seats for the public waiting area in addition to completing the shelving for the archiving room. PJEP also completed the upgrades to the Nablus MOJ training room. PJEP delivered a smart board that includes a projector and a video screen as well as folding tablet arm chairs. The equipment will be used to facilitate training sessions at the institution.

MOJ Authentication Services: In the Ramallah MOJ office, PJEP is currently working with the MOJ to achieve the “One Million Document Project”. The project aims to electronically archive one million official documents verified by the MOJ as part of the authentication services.

Archiving these official public documents will make it easier for staff to retrieve the documents when requested by the public, as well as to preserve the confidentiality of the documents. The assistance will also help the institution reduce its case backlog and assist in archiving documents that have yet to be archived in their proper place, both in paper files and electronically.

During the year, PJEP completed the upgrades of a designated area at the Authentication Department that is housing PJEP’s data entry interns. Four data entry interns have been employed to assist with the “One Million Document Project”. The PJEP interns received training and an orientation on how to conduct the needed work for the MOJ. In addition, PJEP delivered a network storage unit which is heavy duty equipment that will allow for the proper storage of information and documents.

Assistance to the Deputy Minister Office (DMO): In its continued efforts to support the MOJ, a PJEP advisor began working at the Deputy Minster’s Office. The advisor is embedded at the MOJ and is providing support in order to improve the administrative procedures in the Office.

During the year, PJEP’s advisor conducted a number of assignments, including the development of a concept paper on performance management. The performance management paper will be used as a management tool to track the performance of MOJ staff. The advisor collected information on the internal and external committees the MOJ oversees. The information gathered

MOJ's JRO in Tubas is established with PJEP's support will help keep a record of the work committees headed by the Deputy Minister. In addition, a data form was developed that includes a cover letter to be used by the MOJ committees. The advisor also followed up on the use of the Document Management Archiving System (DMAS) in cooperation with the IT department. The system is being used to archive official documents and the advisor is overseeing this process. The support provided to the DMO will help improve administrative practices and help the MOJ to function more efficiently and effectively.

Also this year, PJEP’s advisor met with the General Director of the Minister’s Office to discuss developing a work schedule that will include reports and coordination meetings. The schedule will help organize the meetings for the Deputy Minister’s Office. In addition, the advisor developed a weekly report template to be use by staff at the Deputy Minister’s Office. The advisor is using the information to develop weekly reports that highlight the achievements conducted at the office. The advisor also attended a meeting with the representative from the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO). The representative is assessing the type of cooperation that is taking place between the MOJ and PNGO.

Additionally, PJEP’s advisor arranged several meetings for the Deputy Minister including a meeting with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Chief Technical Advisor and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Furthermore, PJEP’s advisor prepared for and facilitated the steering committee meeting for the Forensic Medicine stakeholder’s workshop that took place at the MOJ. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ministry of Interior (MOI), Ministry of Planning Affairs (MOPA), the Attorney General and the Palestinian police.

Component 2 – Strengthen the capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals

During the year, PJEP worked with the PJI staff to develop several DJS courses while taking into account the results of both needs and impact assessments. The courses will target judges, court staff, prosecutors, and other PJI audiences. PJEP is working to strengthen core and specialized legal skills for judges and court staff as well as building the capacity of the PJI staff to develop training impact assessments. PJEP also worked with a number of law schools to conduct local and national moot court competitions and has helped establish and upgrade reliable computer labs, libraries and moot court facilities for the partnering universities. Moreover, PJEP has begun developing course material for the law schools.

Key Result Area: Strengthen the capacity of the PJI Develop DJS courses: At the request of the Director of the PJI, PJEP began assisting in strengthening and developing a number of judicial education courses that are part of PJI’s new DJS program. The program is part of the PJI’s curriculum for lawyers who are interested in becoming judges. The courses are designed to include case study exercises and court precedents that will assist in fostering the practical skills of those who take these courses.

In the beginning of the fiscal year, PJEP reviewed and edited the Judicial Ethics course that was developed by a High Court judge. USAID and the EU contributed to the development of the Judicial Ethics course material. 500 copies were printed and distributed to the PJI who will use the material as part of the DJS program. A meeting was also held with PJEP’s USAID COR, the COP and DCOP, the EU’s Rule of Law Specialist and the Director of the Seyada 2 Project to present copies of the Judicial Ethics course material. The meeting focused on cooperation between the EU and USAID and unifying efforts toward supporting the PJI.

Furthermore, PJEP developed and completed the

Civil Law course material. PJEP along with the PJI conducted a workshop to discuss the final draft of the Civil Law course material. The workshop began with the PJI’s Director welcoming the attendees that included judges, academics and members of the judicial committee which was created by the HJC to support the development of the PJI’s course material. The Director went on to thank USAID/PJEP for the valuable work it has provided in assisting the PJI develop course material for the DJS program. PJEP’s consultant then conducted a presentation on the content of the Civil Law course material which includes case study exercises and court precedents that will assist in fostering the practical skills of the course. The participants reviewed the material at which time the judicial committee which was formed by the PJI and HJC Training Department approved the course to be added to the curriculum of the DJS program. PJEP is currently in the process of printing 1,000 copies of the course material. This course is the first of its kind to be added to the DJS and is anticipated to be introduced to the program in the coming months. PJEP will develop 4 additional courses for the DJS program over the next several months. To date, PJEP has begun developing the Commercial Law and Land Law course materials.

PJEP publishes the Judicial Ethics course material

Supporting the enabling environment: In order to assist the PJI to become a more efficient and creditable institution where judges, lawyers, and court staff can use the institution as a resource for training and other educational purposes, PJEP upgraded several PJI offices.

With the PJI’s move to the new MOJ space in Ramallah early this FY, PJEP provided furniture including desks, chairs, cabinets, and A/C units and installed all signage to the PJI offices. PJEP installed a reception counter that is situated at the entrance of the PJI in addition to establishing two training rooms and a focus group meeting room. Furthermore, PJEP completed the upgrades to the computer lab which will be used for trainings. The lab received IT equipment that included 23 PC’s, a heavy duty printer/scanner, a video projector, a tripod screen and an overhead projector. PJEP also designed and printed two banners that will be used during trainings that take place at the Institute. The new space has increased PJI capacity to host additional trainings, and provide necessary space for possible expansion of staff.

Key Result Area: Strengthen core and specialized legal skills for judges and court staff Judicial Continuing Education Program: In the beginning of the FY, a request was submitted to PJEP by the HJC Training Department to assist with developing the continuing education plan for the Judicial Continuing Education Program at the PJI. PJEP developed a list of training priorities for continuing education development based on various discussions conducted with several HJC departments and judges and on the results of a survey PJEP conducted for judges at the HJC Judicial Annual Conference. PJEP along with the PJI and HJC Training Department then compiled a list of training topics to be conducted for the judges. The continuing education program targets practicing judges in order to refresh their skills and enhance their knowledge in specialized areas of the law and core judicial skills.

During the year, PJEP supported the following trainings: Land settlement Law, Judicial Mediation, Insurance Law and Criminal Procedures Law.

PJEP provides IT equipment and furniture for the new MOJ space

With the PA processing land registration, the HJC identified a need for judges to receive training on land settlement issues, as land ownership issues are both common and complex. The “Land Settlement Law” training course began with opening statements given by the PJI Director, PJEP’s COP and the USAID COR. The five day training was conducted in Ramallah for 17 Land Settlement Judges from various West Bank courts.

Some of the judges participating in this training have presided over land settlement cases while others are expecting to preside over such cases when a decision to conduct land settlement trials is given in their jurisdictions (land settlement issues are heard in the First Instance Courts).