QUETTA: As many as 20 Additional District and Sessions judges, Judicial Magistrates and Civil Judges participated in a 3-day interactive training workshop on Human Rights Safeguards in the Administration of Justice in Balochistan.
The training was organized in Quetta by the Balochistan Judicial Academy in collaboration with EU-funded Huqooq-e-Pakistan project, said a press release issued here on Thursday.
The training was inaugurated by the Registrar Balochistan High Court and DG Balochistan Judicial Academy, Mr Rashid Mehmood. The Honourable Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove of the Balochistan High Court provided the concluding remarks and awarded certificates to qualifying judges.
The program aims at a province-wide intervention by building the capacity of all trial court judges and public prosecutors from all districts of Balochistan through a total of 14 trainings that will run at BJA through 2021.
The trainings will be delivered by senior judges from the Balochistan High Court, senior lawyers, prominent experts in the criminal justice sectors and experts from HeP and BJA.
The objective of the training program is to enhance the capacity of judges and prosecutors in applying human rights standards in the administration of justice and incorporating the same in judgment writing. The training modules and manual were developed by experts from HeP under the supervision of HeP Executive Director Ali Dayan Hasan.
Trial Court Judges and Public Prosecutors from Balochistan will be trained on a range of areas including the application of human rights within Pakistan’s criminal justice system and the role of trial courts in upholding human rights standards, witness protection and incorporating human rights principles in judgment writing.
Eminent experts such as HeP Expert Justice (Retired) Mehta Kailash Nath Kohli delivered lectures on the importance of human rights and the role of trial court judges in its application.
Inaugurating the training, Mr Rashid Mehmood Registrar BHC and DG BJA commended the efforts made by Huqooq-e-Pakistan project team in developing a training which has a special focus on substantive and procedural protections for women and children in the criminal justice system.
“We are pleased that HeP’s training program is aligned with the BJA’s Annual Work Plan and the linkage created between trial courts and international law with specific reference to Balochistan is much appreciated.”
Mr, Nazar Muhammad Kakar, Advisor BJA assured the HeP Team of the BJA’s cooperation and appreciation for designing a training program especially for Balochistan’s criminal justice system. “The BJA is at the forefront of making the criminal justice system of Balochistan ever more effective and HeP’s contribution will go a long way in achieving this noble aim.”
In his concluding remarks, the Honourable Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove of the Balochistan High Court, said “After listening to the participants, I am very happy with the feedback that has been given and that the training ensured that the participants actively discussed their shared experiences.” Justice Langove lauded that the efforts put in by the BJA and HeP team and opined it will go a long way in ensuring the application of human rights principles in the administration of justice in the province.
In his remarks, Executive Director HeP Ali Dayan said that the training program is designed in consultation with provincial human rights stakeholders from the judiciary to ensure that the training reflected Balochistan’s realities and perspectives. “We are especially grateful to the Honourable Chief Justice of the BHC and Chairperson BJA, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Registrar BHC and DG BJA, Mr Rashid Mehmood and Mr. Nazar Kakar, Advisor BJA. The BJA has been an exemplary and inspiring partner in its determination in ensuring that all judges at all levels factor human rights in their dispensation of justice across Balochistan.”
At the end of the training, The Honourable Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove awarded certificates to qualifying participants.