Using Workshops to Advocate for Justice Reform
Justice reform is a priority for Prison Fellowship Ethiopia. One justice reform strategy is the organization of training workshops for all actors in the criminal justice system including police officers, judges, and prison directors. With the goal of building capacity in the justice system, these workshops cover different topics.
For example, an 8 September workshops dealt with the issue of judicial independence and was attended by judges from the different Ethiopian states and other relevant bodies.
Another recent workshop provided restorative justice training to Supreme Court judges, prosecutors, prison governors, and police chiefs. Conducted by a Canadian law professor, the training received an enthusiastic response. While the workshop participants showed enthusiasm and creativity in planning ways to implement restorative justice, the judges all expressed concern that the existing legislation would not permit diversion of offenders to restorative processes. A subsequent visit to the Ministry of Justice initiated the process of drafting amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code to allow for restorative interventions. This work is currently underway.
November 2006
