Democracy and Human Rights Training for the Judicial Sector

By the summer of 2008, more than 450 new Yemeni lawyers, public prosecutors, and judges will join the judicial sector armed with the training on international human rights standards and mechanisms of a fair trial.  The Democracy School in Yemen, a non-governmental organization aimed at raising human rights and democracy awareness among children, youth, and women, has taken on the organization and implementation of democracy and human rights training for senior students at the Sharia and Law College, and the Higher Judicial Institute.


With support from the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Local Grants program, the Democracy School is leading interactive training workshops for law students, facilitated by law professors and human rights activists. In January, the first phase of the project included establishing a facility for conducting mock trials at the Sharia and Law College of Sana’a University.  The second phase of 10 workshops has also begun, and will conclude in July 2008; covering topics on the principles and procedures of fair trial, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other international treaties on the protection of the rights of women, children, juveniles, and prisoners. 

Students were selected through their universities and are divided into groups of 30 for each workshop.  They have been interacting vigorously and have been responding well to learning in an “interactive, unconventional method for Yemenis” on how to run a fair trial, according to the Director of the Democracy School, Mr. Jamal Al Shami.  “As Yemen’s future judiciary members, these students will be committed to the application of democracy and international human rights standards throughout their professional life,” Al Shami added.


The project was covered by Saba Net February 5 and Al Thawra Net January 15.