ATTACHMENT_J_11Palestinian_Justice_Enhancement_Project_Sixth_Quarterly_Report.pdf

QUARTERLY REPORT #6

Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program Task order 263-I-03-06-00018-00

1 April to 30 June, 2012

PJEP Quarterly report #6 2 of 30

PALESTINIAN JUSTICE

ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

QUARTERLY REPORT #6

1 April TO 30 June, 2012

Table of Contents

ACRONYMS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

COMPONENT 1 – ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF TARGETED JUSTICE SECTOR INSTITUTIONS

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 and MOJ Departments

SUBCOMPONENT 1B - STRENGTHEN TARGETED FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE MOJ

Key Result Area: Improve MOJ public services Key Result Area: Assist in activation and development of the Palestinian-Israeli Joint Legal Committee

(JLC)

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 Key Result Area: Improve practical civic education in Palestinian communities and schools Key Result Area: Increase engagement and public awareness of key justice sector stakeholders

MONITORING & EVALUATION

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR FY12 QUARTER 4:

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 RULE OF LAW AND ENGAGEMENT WITH JUSTICE SECTOR ... 27

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

SPENDING

OBLIGATIONS

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Acronyms

AD Authentication Department

CBS Creative Business Solutions

CIDA Canadian International Development Agency

COP Chief of Party

COTR Contract Officer Technical Representative

CSO Civil Society Organization

DCOP Deputy Chief of Party

DJS Diploma Judicial Studies

DMAS Document Management Archiving System

DMO Deputy Minister’s Office

EUPOLCOPPS EU Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support

GIA Grant Implementation Agreement

HJC High Judicial Council

ICDL International Computer Driving License

ICI Investment Climate Improvement

IT Information Technology

JIC Justice Information Center

JLC Palestinian-Israeli Joint Legal Committee

JRO Justice Records Offices

KRA Key Results Area

LAD Legal Affair’s Department

MOE Ministry of Education

MOI Ministry of Interior

MOJ Ministry of Justice

PA Palestinian Authority

PC Personal Computer

PIR Project Intermediate Results

PJEP Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program

PACE Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project

PIRS Project Indicator Reference Sheets

PMP Performance Management Plan

PJI Palestinian Judicial Institute

RFA Request for Application

TOT Training of Trainers

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UNDP United Nations Development Program

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USG United States Government

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Executive Summary

The goal of Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program (PJEP) is to strengthen public confidence in and respect for justice sector institutions and the Rule of Law in the West Bank.

During the quarter, PJEP contributed to this goal through targeted assistance to justice institutions, legal professionals, civil society and the public.

In its continued effort to support the High Judicial Council (HJC), this quarter PJEP upgraded the First Instance and Conciliation Courts, Civil Judgment and Notary Public Departments in the Hebron, Dora, Tulkram, Nablus and Salfit courts. In addition, PJEP partnered with the

USAID Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project (PACE) to upgrade, during the th quarter, the Ramallah Conciliation Court. PJEP will provide the IT equipment and furniture and the design and engineering services fees while PACE will be responsible for the facilities renovations of the court.

PJEP also delivered 56 computers and 20 heavy duty scanners to the HJC. The computers will be used in the courtrooms to type case transcripts and the scanners will be used to improve the case management in the courts. PJEP’s 4 data entry interns are currently using the scanners to process backlogged documents. The interns are also working on entering data into the Al Mizan 2 program. This PJEP assistance will help reduce the case backlog that exists in the courts as well as archive documents in their proper place.

During the quarter, PJEP completed the International Computer Driving License (ICDL)

Basic Computer Skills training for 83 justice sector staff. 15 MOJ staff also took part in the training that will help the staff work more efficiently and have a better command of the computer and its functions. Additionally, 9 MOJ staff completed the level two English language training provided by PJEP. PJEP also conducted a Training of Trainers (TOT) program for 11 court staff who are responsible for training 105 court staff from the Notary

Public, Civil Judgment and Notification Departments as well as staff from the Court

Registry’s Office.

Support to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) included the delivery of 36 computers to the new space in Ramallah. The computers were distributed to various departments including the

Media Center and the Legal Affairs Department (LAD). At the MOJ Nablus office PJEP completed the upgrades to the training room and delivered equipment and furniture. PJEP also provided assistance to the “One Million Documents Project” that was launched by the MOJ

Authentication Department. PJEP’s data entry interns are working to archive the official documents that are authenticated by the department. Assistance was also provided to the

Deputy Minster Office. PJEP’s advisor who is embedded at the MOJ is working to improve the administrative procedures at the Office.

Through the work of the Joint Legal Committee (JLC), two Palestinian suspects who fled into

Israel were extradited to the Palestinian territories. The extradition was based on a request which was submitted by PJEP’s JLC Senior Specialist and was the first ever to be prepared and submitted to the Israeli counterpart according to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim

Agreement.

To assist the Palestinian Judicial Institute (PJI), PJEP completed the development of the Civil

Law course material that will be added to the PJI’s Diploma Judicial Studies (DJS) program.

PJEP also completed the upgrades to the PJI computer lab by delivering 23 PC’s, a heavy

PJEP Quarterly report #6 6 of 30 duty printer/scanner and a video projector. The lab will be used by judges, lawyers and court staff. Other continuing support included training judges on “Judicial Mediation” and

“Insurance Law”.

With the aim to improve the practical skills of law students, PJEP conducted the first ever

Local Moot Court Competition for qualified third and fourth year law students. 41 students took part in the competition that was conducted at Al Ahliya, An Najah, Al Quds and Hebron

Universities. The 19 winners of the competition will take part in the National Moot Court

Competition to be held next quarter. PJEP also completed the remodeling of moot court facilities for Hebron, Al Ahliya and, An Najah Universities. The moot court facilities will enable law students to have a dedicated facility to strengthen their oral argument capability.

PJEP assisted the HJC’s public outreach this quarter by completing the radio series campaign.

In total 15 episodes were aired on the national radio station Raya FM twice a week. The series is a creative communication tool that enhances the public understanding of legal issues and awareness of the court system. PJEP also completed the Authentication Campaign for the

MOJ. The campaign served as a public outreach tool to educate the public on the services the department offers.

During the quarter, PJEP’s grantees El Lid Charitable Society, Juhoud, Student’s Forum

Institute (SFI) and Al Marsad completed their grant obligations. PJEP also awarded 3 additional grants totaling $75,000 to Ma’an Network, Internews Network and Amin Media

Network. These grants will focus on bridging the gap between judicial institutions and the media.

A major highlight this quarter was the “Judicial Media Conference” that was sponsored by

PJEP and hosted by the judicial institutions. The conference served as an opportunity for justice sector actors and journalists to come together to discuss the challenges and to produce a code of conduct on how to cover judicial news without jeopardizing the integrity of the law and preserving freedom of expression. Over 150 judges, court staff and journalist attended the 3 day conference that was held in Jericho on June 17-19, 2012.

In order to measure the impact of PJEP’s efforts in the courts a pre-court user’s satisfaction survey was conducted in the Hebron, Salfit, Tulkram, Jericho and Dora court as well as the

MOJ office in Nablus. PJEP will conduct a post-court user’s satisfaction survey once the upgrades are completed in these facilities.

Finally, PJEP received the balance of obligated funds for the Fiscal Year 2011. With the obligated funds released PJEP began re-instating project activities that were put on hold in the last quarter of 2011 with the freeze on funds. PJEP also began the recruitment and hiring of several approved positions that were delayed because of the funding hold.

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ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

PJEP’s goal 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 this quarter’s progress, challenges, and results.

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 in the fairness, accessibility, and efficiency of court processes and services. Rapid and visible improvements in the court processes and services are a priority for the HJC. The MOJ also plays an important role in developing policy, formulating, coordinating, and implementing strategic plans, and in managing relationships with other justice sector institutions and provides critical services to the public. Therefore, focusing PJEP assistance to strengthen the public services provided by the MOJ and its impact upon public capacity 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: PJEP completed the furniture procurement for the First Instance and

Conciliation Courts, Civil Judgment and Notary

Public Departments in the Hebron, Dora, Tulkram, Nablus and Salfit courts. PJEP provided the courts with public and staff chairs, curtains, and metal shelving. The Dora Civil Judgment department will also receive a queuing system which will allow for more efficient customer service early next quarter. Metal shelves were also installed in the Court Registries, archiving rooms, and various departments within the courts. This metal shelving will allow the court staff to easily store and retrieve files in a more accurate and efficient manner while also speeding up public requests and transactions.

In addition, PJEP provided the HJC with an assessment report that identified the type of rehabilitation needs required in the various courts. Once the HJC completed the rehabilitation needs, PJEP began the carpentry work for the courts. The carpentry work includes providing more counter space which will seat additional staff working in the court and redesigning the customer service layout in order to accommodate waiting areas. This carpentry work is expected to be completed early next quarter which will help the HJC provide more efficient and faster services to the public. The upgrades to the various courts and departments are part of PJEP’s overall goal to improve services provided to the public and to assist the HJC to become a more efficient and better functioning justice sector institution.

Upgrading the Ramallah Conciliation Court: During the quarter, 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, and a

PJEP provides metal shelving to the Dora court

PJEP Quarterly report #6 8 of 30 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.

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 filing areas and create appropriate, locked areas for evidence storage.

To get a quick start, PJEP and PACE began visiting the court to determine the preliminary cost for re-designing the court and to discuss the timeline for completing the upgrades as soon as USAID approval was received. PJEP will provide the court with furniture and IT equipment and pay for engineering and architecture fees while PACE will rehabilitate and upgrade the court structure. The rehabilitation efforts of the court will begin early next quarter.

Coordination Meetings: Several coordination meetings took place this quarter. PJEP’s

USAID COTR, COP, DCOP and Component 1

Leader met with the Chief Justice to discuss the 5th

Annual Judicial Conference. The Chief Justice confirmed the dates of the conference which will be on August 30-31, 2012. PJEP updated the Chief

Justice on the progress made to date on the upgrades to the Hebron, Tulkram, Salfit and Nablus courts.

There was also a discussion on the proposed study tour to Jordan for the court administration staff.

The study tour will include visiting various courts in Jordan and examining the progress made in using IT in the courts. The Chief Justice is planning a trip to Jordan and following his return he will provide PJEP with a list of suggested topics to focus on when the study tour is conducted.

In addition, PJEP’s USAID COTR, COP, and DCOP met with the Chief Justice to discuss future project activities that PJEP will implement in the various courts. The goal of the meeting was to determine the needs of the HJC and to begin developing a timetable of when project activities will be implemented.

Technical Support to the HJC: Early in the quarter, PJEP’s Case Management Consultant submitted a detailed report of the findings and recommendations that will help 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 the case management at the courts. The consultant, with agreement and cooperation of the HJC, developed a case management activities matrix that includes the following:

Develop time standards (this activity is in progress and supported by SEYEDA)

Develop a time standards implementation timetable

Develop a case weighing study

Conduct an exchange program in Jordan

PJEP's team meets with the Chief Justice

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Form a backlog reduction task force

Develop a model courts program

These activities will help the HJC develop a more effective case flow management process leading to improvement in the courts. PJEP’s Case Management Consultant will begin implementing the case management activities next quarter.

HJC IT Equipment Upgrade: This quarter, PJEP delivered 56 computers and 20 heavy duty scanners to the HJC. The HJC Procurement Department received the IT equipment and distributed it 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 of the courts and to increase the access to court user information. The IT equipment will also facilitate better services to the public as well as assist the staff to perform their work duties more efficiently.

Supporting the HJC: To further aid the justice sector institutions, PJEP recruited 4 data entry interns to assist at the Nablus, Ramallah, and Jericho Civil Judgment Departments. PJEP’s interns will enter data into the Al Mizan 2 program and scan 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 handled in their proper place.

The interns received training and an orientation on how to conduct the needed work for the

Civil Judgment Departments.

In addition, PJEP began recruiting a statistical analyst to serve at the HJC headquarters for a period of 4 months. PJEP’s analyst will render analytical services to the HJC through studying the reports and developing recommendation to help improve how the HJC processes case data and stores the information.

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

International Computer Driving License (ICDL) Basic Computer Skills training: PJEP launched and completed the 60 hour “Basic

Computer Skills” (ICDL) training for 68 HJC court staff from various courts throughout the West

Bank. 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 “Basic

Computer Skills” (ICDL) training was to enable the court staff to work more efficiently and to

Ramallah justice sector staff participates in the basic computer skills training

PJEP Quarterly report #6 10 of 30 have a better command of the computer and its functions. In addition, 15 MOJ staff from

Ramallah also took part in the training. In total, 83 justice sector staff attended the training.

English language training: During the quarter, 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 which will assist the HJC court staff to conduct coordination meetings with international donors. The training also increased the staff’s accessibility to English language resources. Judge Izzat congratulated the trainees on their dedication. PJEP’s COP highlighted PJEP’s commitment to the HJC and hoped that USAID/PJEP will fund future trainings in this important area. Both Judge Izzat and PJEP’s COP presented the 18 trainees with certificates of completion.

In addition, 9 MOJ administrators completed the level two English language training and 13

MOJ staff completed the level one course last quarter.

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.

During the quarter, PJEP delivered 36 computers to the new MOJ space in Ramallah. The computers will be distributed to various departments at the MOJ including the Media Center and the Legal Affairs Department. 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 work of the MOJ.

To further assist the MOJ, PJEP completed the upgrades to the Nablus MOJ training room.

PJEP also delivered a smart board that includes a projector and a video screen. The equipment will be used to facilitate training sessions at the institution. The upgrades to the

Nablus MOJ office is the last of a series of upgrades PJEP provided to this office. Last quarter, PJEP completed the delivery of chairs, desks, cabinets, and seats for the public area for the Justice Record Office (JRO), Legal Affairs Department (LAD), Forensic Department, and the Office of the Director. The upgrades have allowed the public to receive MOJ related services such as obtaining non-conviction certificates at the Nablus office instead of traveling to Ramallah. The training room has allowed the staff to conduct trainings in house instead of using outside resources for trainings.

HJC staff takes part in English language training

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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 quarter, PJEP completed the upgrades of a designated area at the Authentication

Department. The area is being used to house 4 PJEP data entry interns who were employed to assist with the “One Million Document Project”. In addition, PJEP delivered a network storage unit which is heavy duty equipment that will allow for the proper storage of information and documents. The PJEP interns received training and an orientation on how to conduct the needed work for the MOJ. The interns are working to archive the documents during a 3 month period.

Assistance to Deputy Minister Office (DMO): In its continued efforts to support the MOJ, PJEP’s advisor began working at the Deputy Minster’s Office. The advisor is embedded at the MOJ for 4 months and is providing support in order to improve the administrative procedures in the Office. During the quarter, 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 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 the administrative practices and help the MOJ to function more efficiently and effectively.

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.

Extradition Request: A major success accomplished through the work of the Joint Legal

Committee (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

PJEP's interns working at the MOJ

PJEP Quarterly report #6 12 of 30 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. Once arrested by the Israeli police the suspects were 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 of 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.

Legal Cooperation: 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 received by the Israeli counterpart at the Palestinian

MOJ Authentication Department.

The JLC Specialist is working with the UNDP contractor who is gathering data on the

Palestinian criminal justice system. The data will be used to develop a study that will determine any impact on movement restrictions within the Palestinian justice sector. To date, the Specialist and the contractor have drafted a questionnaire that will be used to gather the needed information. The Minister of Justice has reviewed and given approval for use of the questionnaire.

Coordination Meetings: The JLC Specialist met the EU Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian

Police Support (EUPOL COPPS) head of 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.

Additionally, the JLC Specialist met with the representatives of the Quartet for Rule of Law to discuss the type of support the Quartet could provide to the Palestinian counterpart for cases in area C that are related to the mandates of the JLC. The JLC Specialist met with the

Quartet representative for the Rule of Law to discuss the Quartet’s efforts to support the JLC.

The JLC Specialist briefed the Deputy Minister of Justice on the discussions who then applauded the efforts of the Quartet for the support it provides to the JLC. The Deputy

Minister of Justice also discussed the legal paper that was produced by the JLC Specialist, specifically addressing the legal status of Palestinians who hold Jerusalem ID’s. The Deputy

Minister wanted clarity on how to bring Jerusalem ID holders to court when a crime is committed in the Palestinian jurisdiction. The Specialist then prepared a document on the

Palestinian jurisdiction in regard to Palestinians who hold Jerusalem ID’s. The document clarifies a number of issues that have to do with the jurisdiction of this group. The document will be sent to the Palestinian Deputy Minister of Justice and the head of the First Instance court for review.

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

Under this component, PJEP is working with the PJI staff to develop PJI’s 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 build the capacity of the PJI staff to develop training impact assessments. PJEP is also working with a number of law schools to conduct local and national moot court competitions and has helped establish and upgrade reliable computer labs and moot court facilities for the partnering universities.

Key Result Area: Strengthen the capacity of the PJI

Develop DJS Courses: At the request of the Director of the PJI, PJEP is 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. In continuing to strengthen the DJS at the PJI, PJEP completed developing the Civil Law course material. A workshop will take place next quarter with members of the judicial committee in order to review and approve the course material. The judicial committee was formed by the PJI and the HJC Training Department and includes two judges. In addition, PJEP’s Component 2 leader is continuing to develop the Penal Law course. The Penal and Civil Law 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. PJEP will publish the courses once the final drafts are approved. The courses are the first of its kind to be added to the DJS and are 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.

Supporting the enabling environment: PJEP continued to support the PJI by completing the upgrades to the computer lab.

The computer lab, which will be used for trainings, received IT equipment that included 23 PC’s, a heavy duty printer/scanner, and a video projector. The goal of the upgrades is to help the PJI 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 provides upgrades to the PJI computer lab

PJEP Quarterly report #6 14 of 30

Key Result Area: Strengthen core and specialized legal skills for judges and court staff

Judicial Continuing Education Program: In its continued support of the PJI and the HJC

Training Departments, PJEP conducted the

“Judicial Mediation” and “Insurance Law” trainings. During the opening session of the

“Judicial Mediation” training, the Chief Justice thanked USAID/PJEP for all its support to the judiciary. The Chief Justice emphasized the importance of the training courses implemented by PJEP. The “Judicial

Mediation” training focused on alternative methods of resolving disputes by a judge outside the formal court setting. During the training, PJEP’s trainer presented materials related to judicial mediation and screened videos on how to conduct conciliation sessions in front of a judge. 14 judges from various West

Bank courts participated in the training. At the end of the training, the head of the Training

Department and PJEP’s Component 2 Leader presented the 14 judges with certificates of completions. Also in attendance were the Deputy of the High Court and the head of the HJC

Training Department.

The “Insurance Law” training focused on reviewing insurance policies, determining the judgment of the insurance cases and compensation benefits. The six day training targeted 15 judges from the First Instance and Conciliation Courts. During the opening session judge

Lu’ay Hamarsheh who spoke on behalf of the Chief Justice commended the efforts of PJEP in supporting the judiciary and the practicing judges.

The continuing education program targets practicing judges for training in order to refresh skills and enhance the knowledge of the judges in specialized areas of the law and core judicial skills.

News of the “Judicial Mediation” and “Insurance Law” trainings was posted on the HJC website, below are the link:

http://www.courts.gov.ps/atemplate.aspx?id=1018 http://www.courts.gov.ps/atemplate.aspx?id=1085

Court Staff Training: The TOT program targeted court staff trainers on the ADDIE model

(Assess, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate Training Programs). The ADDIE model uses an adult learning methodology to assist in fostering on-the-job training.

During the quarter, PJEP’s Senior

Training Specialist completed the phase one of the TOT program. The

Judges take part in the Mediation training

PJEP's Senior Training Specialist conducts the phase one TOT program http://www.courts.gov.ps/atemplate.aspx?id=1018 http://www.courts.gov.ps/atemplate.aspx?id=1085

PJEP Quarterly report #6 15 of 30 training targeted 11 senior level court staff from the Notary Public, Civil Judgment and

Notification Departments as well as the Court Registration.

The training sessions included both classroom training and practical skills on-the-job training.

The trainee’s learned to produce needs assessments, develop training plans, and how to design training curricula which were used for the second phase of the TOT program. During the second phase of the TOT program, the 11 trainees conducted training for court staff from various West Bank courts. PJEP’s Senior Training Specialist aided and supervised the trainees throughout the phase two training program. The breakdown of trainings is as follows:

3 Notary Public trainers conducted training for 16 Notary Public staff. The training focused on reviewing the notary public procedures and the roles and legal responsibilities of the staff.

In addition, the trainees provided real case examples of issues that were raised during their work and the trainers provided guidance on how to resolve each case.

3 Civil Judgment trainers conducted training for 17 Civil Judgment staff. The training focused on legal issues regarding civil judgment decisions. Surveys confirmed trainees were very satisfied with the training and that the training increased their knowledge on issues related to their work, law and procedures. 10 out of the 17 court staff (55%) said the training will help to minimize work mistakes. They also felt the training provided them with new information and skills.

3 Notification trainers conducted training for 54 Notification staff. The training focused on notification procedures and protocol. 2 Court Registry trainers conducted training for 18 registry staff. The training focused on court registration process and procedures.

In total, 105 court staff took part in the phase two TOT program. The PJEP Senior Training

Specialist expressed satisfaction with the performance of the trainers who used all the skills and knowledge that was taught to them during phase one of the TOT program. A graduation ceremony for the 11 trainee’s will take place early next quarter.

Also during the quarter, PJEP’s Senior Training Specialist began training 9 PJI and HJC

Training Department staff on the phase one TOT program. The training will focus on how to analyze the field data based on the needs assessment data collection schedule, presentation of the main findings, priorities and recommendation and how to develop the training plan for

2013. Once the training is completed the staff will in turn train other PJI and HJC staff members using the skills and knowledge gained in the phase one TOT program. The phase two training will begin next quarter.

Key Result Area: Strengthen practical legal education

Moot Court Competitions: PJEP conducted four Local Moot Court Competitions for law students from Al Quds, An Najah, Hebron, and Al Ahliya University. The moot court competitions enabled the students to take part in simulated court proceedings where they presented their memorials and participated in oral arguments in front of a panel of judges.

The competition is a form of practical skills training that allowed the law students to practice oral arguments. During the quarter, qualified third and fourth year law students presented memorials (case study and analysis) in order to practice for the competition during the orientation sessions lead by the Component 2 leader. The students then took part in the local competitions.

PJEP Quarterly report #6 16 of 30

The competitions were held in Al Quds, An Najah, Hebron, and Al Ahliya Universities. In total, 41 law students were selected to take part in the competitions which focused on international and humanitarian law. The cases included a military attack against a country;

bombing a hospital; women’s rights, and investigating bribery and corruption crimes. The moot court competition event was opened to all law school students from the selected universities which were presented as a form of training for the attendees on how to present oral arguments in a court room. Over 300 law students attended the competitions.

During the opening ceremonies the deans of each university welcomed PJEP teams including the COP and thanked USAID/PJEP in supporting the law schools. PJEP’s COP thanked the universities for participating in the moot court competition. PJEP presented awards to 19 winning students who will compete in the National Moot Court Competition that will take place next quarter.

The local moot court competition was posted in local newspapers and websites. Below are the links:

http://www.maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=475644 http://www.wattan.tv/hp_details.cfm?id=a3554617a8223325&c_id=1 http://www.hebron.edu/index.php/ar/-news/1561-2012-04-11-12-34-30.html http://www.maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=480101

Also during the quarter, PJEP’s Component 2 leader began preparing the 19 winning students for the National Moot Court Competition. The Component 2 leader conducted training on the following:

Analyzing the case studies

Assigning the team members to the different components of the case

Determining the role of each team member Explaining how to develop the memorials Training on the methodology of using the different sources for public international law to conduct the required legal research The winners of the National Moot Court Competition may be able to take part in the next

International JESSUP Moot Court Competition in Washington D.C.

Create moot court facilities: PJEP completed the remodeling of the moot court facilities for

Al Ahliya, Hebron, and An Najah

Universities. These Universities received judges’ benches, desks, chairs, signage plaques, and podiums. The moot court facilities will enable students to have a dedicated area in which to strengthen their oral argument skills and their practical skills knowledge.

PJEP remodeled and furnished moot court facilities for selected universities http://www.maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=475644 http://www.wattan.tv/hp_details.cfm?id=a3554617a8223325&c_id=1 http://www.hebron.edu/index.php/ar/-news/1561-2012-04-11-12-34-30.html http://www.maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=480101

PJEP Quarterly report #6 17 of 30

Establish/upgrade reliable computer labs for Law Schools: In order to provide better facilities to law schools, PJEP procured and delivered furniture and IT equipment for the computer labs of Al Ahliya, Hebron, and An

Najah Universities last quarter.

This quarter, PJEP completed the installation of the computer desks for these computer labs. The lab upgrades will enable law students to build their computer skills and will allow the students to conduct legal research which will broaden and strengthen their legal capabilities.

Establish specialized legal libraries: PJEP will provide books and legal periodicals for Al

Ahliya, Hebron, Modern College, Al Quds, and An-Najah Universities. The books and legal periodicals will enable law students to have access to specialized and updated resources which are lacking in the law schools. This quarter, PJEP continued to work on the procurement process for the books and legal periodicals requested from each law school.

The books and legal periodicals will be delivered next quarter.

Component 3 – Broaden public awareness of Rule of Law and engagement with the justice sector Under this component, PJEP is providing small grants and technical assistance to civil society organizations to build public awareness of legal rights and responsibilities, and enhance the public’s understanding of the justice system. The small grants program will assist in increasing the public engagement with the justice system and the Rule of Law more generally.

PJEP will also assist in providing equipment and technical assistance to the HJC and MOJ in order to empower the units’ outreach capabilities during and beyond the project life.

Additionally, PJEP is helping the HJC, MOJ, and PJI to develop effective public outreach strategies and campaigns.

Key Result Area: Enhance HJC and MOJ public outreach capacities

HJC Annual Report: The HJC has requested PJEP to print the 7 th

HJC Annual Report 2011.

The report will include the role of the HJC, the achievements made by the HJC, and the capacity building strategies the HJC is using to empower and improve the performance of the judicial and administrative staff. PJEP will print the report once the HJC finalizes the content of the report.

HJC Newsletter: This quarter, PJEP began assisting the HJC to produce the 8 th

Edition of the quarterly newsletter titled “Qada’una” (Our Justice System). This edition will highlight the

HJC achievements and activities for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2012. The newsletters are used as a public outreach tool to inform the public and legal professionals of the HJC’s activities and service enhancements.

PJEP delivered IT equipment to selected universities

PJEP Quarterly report #6 18 of 30

MOJ Media Center: In its continued effort to support the MOJ Media Center, PJEP delivered a video camera and media equipment to the

Center. This equipment was provided based on the evaluation assessment that was conducted by PJEP after the

“Short –Film Editing” and “Filmmaking” trainings that

PJEP provided to the MOJ Media Center staff. The evaluation assessment results highlighted the lack of equipment at the MOJ Media Center which made it difficult for the trainees to conduct filming or editing of its productions. PJEP is working with the MOJ to assist in further developing the media capacity of the institution.

Key Result Area: Improve practical civic education in Palestinian communities and schools

Provide grants to raise awareness of the Rule of Law and human rights and promote civic education: PJEP’s grantees EL-Lid Charitable Society, Juhoud for Community and Rural

Development, Students’ Forum Institute, and Al Marsad – Arab World Democracy and

Electoral Monitor completed their grant obligations during the quarter and submitted completion reports highlighting the milestones achieved.

Following is the grant implementation updates for this quarter:

EL-Lid Charitable Society

This grant worked to increase trust in judicial institutions by broadening public awareness through quiz shows. The grantee conducted 20 quiz show competitions throughout the northern West Bank. The quiz shows were used to enhance the understanding of a previously unclear legal framework, institutional roles and mandates as well as to increase awareness and understanding of the Rule of Law and legal procedures among marginalized populations including women, youth, people with disabilities, and rural populations. The quiz shows also enhanced awareness of the growing judicial system institutions and the Rule of Law that provide productive and effective alternatives to traditional tribal judicial practices. The competitions were broadcast on local TV stations in order to reach a wider audience. The winners of these competitions received a prize.

During the quarter, El-Lid conducted several quiz shows throughout the northern West Bank.

The quiz show event was showcased in Salfit, Tulkram, Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilia and Tubas.

Follows is a brief of each event:

El-Lid conducted three quiz shows in Nablus and Tulkram. The first quiz show event took place at the Women Charitable Society in the town of Huwara in Nablus. 60 women attended the event and discussion focused on women’s rights, inheritance, worker’s rights and the role of courts to guarantee the rights of women.

The second quiz show event was conducted at the

Palestine Technical University - Khadouri in

Tulkram for university students. 65 female and male students attended the show and the female team competed against the male team. The students were very engaged during the discussions and

Children learning about the Rule of

Law

PJEP delivers media equipment to the

MOJ Media Center

PJEP delivers media equipment to the

MOJ

PJEP Quarterly report #6 19 of 30 raised several questions in regards to the current operations of the justice system.

Some of the students mentioned that many court decisions will not be enforced if they are related to cases against the Palestinian Authority or against influential people. The facilitator was able to address this statement and stressed the importance to the audience to trust the Rule of Law to work equally for all. The third quiz show event was conducted at Al-Jaroshia Village Charitable Society in Tulkram with 40 female and male and 20 children attending the event. A female team and a male team competed against each other. The quiz show topics included the functions of the judicial authority and the various court levels in the West Bank, the legality of home searches and the legal procedures for arresting a person. Also included were the rights of citizen while they are under investigation. The discussion on the need for a legal warrant to search homes and private locations by the police and security men was very engaging. A 10 year boy old asked the event facilitator if he could ask the police man coming to his home without a legal search warrant to leave the premise if a search warrant was not presented. The facilitator said it is his right to object to the search if a legal search warrant was not presented.

El-Lid conducted a quiz show in Beit Dajan Boy’s school in Nablus. The quiz show targeted 80 students and teachers. The quiz show topics included the functions of the judicial, executive and legislative authorities, the difference between misdemeanor and felony crimes and the legality of home searches. Two teams were formed and competed against each other; the freedom team and the justice team. The facilitator highlighted the enthusiasm of the students and teachers and that many Rule of Law questions were raised during the competition.

Several quiz shows were conducted in Al-Quds Open University in Salfit, Jenin, Tulkram, Qalqilia and Tubas as well as one quiz show event at the Arab American

University in Jenin. Over 400 female and male university students attended the quiz shows. The discussion during and after the events focused on judicial proceedings, the type of courts in the West Bank and the rights of prisoners under the law. Also discussed was the role of the public on how to achieve justice and the responsibilities of the PA in adopting the laws and enforcing the law. A lively discussion took place where the participants presented specific instances where they believed the law didn’t apply in a specific case.

El-Lid conducted quiz shows in the village of Ramin in Tulkram targeting village council members, women and youth and at An Najah University in Nablus for the

Hisham Hijjawi College of Technology students. In addition, El-Lid Society conducted a quiz show targeting women from the Askar Camp and surrounding villages and disabled students from the Al-Sheikh Zaied vocational rehabilitation center in Nablus. The quiz show topics for these events included:

Palestinian laws and the importance of respecting the Rule of Law

The basic justice principles including litigation practices and the jurisdiction of the courts

Awareness of the citizens’ rights in relation to issues regarding treatment during arrest and interrogation

The citizens’ right to a fair trial and the enforcement of the court’s rulings

Students compete against each other during a quiz show event

PJEP Quarterly report #6 20 of 30

El- Lid has broadcast the quiz show…