DUSHANBE, March 3, 2016, Asia-Plus – The Rule of Law Platform Project organizes a seminar on fair judicial expertise in Dushanbe on March 4, according to the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan.
Chaired by the Justice Council and the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan, the seminar is reportedly aimed at exploring the scientific background and best European practices in the field of judicial expertise, and identifying lessons to be incorporated into the upcoming reform of the profession that will be undertaken as part of the Program of Legal-Judicial Reform of Tajikistan for 2015-2017.
The high-level seminar is expected to be attended by 100 experts, academics, policy makers and Ministry representatives, all of whom will participate in the reform process. The Ambassadors of the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to Tajikistan will also address the delegates at the opening ceremony.
The expertise procedure is a fundamental tenet upheld by the European Court of Human Rights that establishes the right of the parties to fair judicial expertise as a key component of the adversarial process and a fair trial – “a small trial within a trial” as it has been described.
This exchange of ideas about best practices will provide important insights into the challenges of establishing such a system. Co-hosting the event, Dustmurod Murodzoda, Chairman of the Justice Council notes “this is most timely, coming as it does at a time when Tajikistan is establishing an independent institution for state judicial expertise and creating licensed private judicial experts.”
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union, Ambassador Hidajet Biščević “welcomes the progress in legal and judicial reform that has been achieved since the Rule of Law Platform project started to work in Tajikistan and the very real partnership that has developed.” This has developed as both the EU and Central Asian partners recognize a common interest in developing transparent legal systems that lead to greater stability and an environment that is conducive to investment and job creation.
The Rule of Law Platform project is a key element of the EU-Central Asia Strategy for a New Partnership. This project acts as a support mechanism to facilitate policy dialogue and promote measures contributing to legal reforms in each of the Central Asian countries. The Platform is being funded by the European Union to the amount of EUR 1.8 million and is implemented by IBF International Consulting.
