Daily Star - Najjar Discusses Forming Human Rights Department - January 11, 2010

BEIRUT: Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar discussed judicial appointments, legal reforms and human rights during a meeting for the Modernization of Laws Committee held on Saturday. Najjar stressed during the gathering the need to separate judicial appointments from administrative appointments because the judicial investigation committee could not refer files of magistrates to disciplinary councils. “Judges are not regular employees,” he said.
He also emphasized that the plan to reform the judiciary was ongoing. “Not announcing decisions against magistrates is simply due to the fact that the law forbids such announcements except in cases of dismissal,” he said, explaining the reason for taking secret decisions.
Najjar then noted that the investigation council was technically nonexistent, as the head of the judicial investigation committee was a caretaker president and could not refer cases to disciplinary councils. “We shouldn’t have to wait for all the appointments to be made to have a prosecutor general for the Shura Council or to fill any other important legal position,” he said.
The minister went on to announce a future judicial meeting to be held soon concerning the Higher Judicial Council, investigating magistrates, public prosecutors’ offices and prison reforms. He added that an agreement has been made with the head of the Higher Judicial Council to speed up prosecutions and verdicts.
Najjar also discussed transferring prison administration to the Justice Ministry in 2012 and said it was only natural that he asked in the policy statement for the formation of a prison administration department within the ministry. “We need this department to manage prisons, rehabilitate inmates and apply the Lebanese law,” he said.
Najjar also referred during the gathering to forming a department for human rights within the Justice Ministry. “The issue of human rights has become at the heart of judicial and legal interests,” he said.
The minister also tackled the idea of building a judicial city around the Justice Palace in Beirut. He said studies were ongoing that would include constructing a second justice palace, offices for the Shura Council and the Constitutional Council, an institute for legal studies, and several other facilities. – The Daily Star