During May, ILAC’s member the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) hosted four webinar sessions, in both English, Spanish, and French, discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different areas of the justice sector. IAWJ members from all over the world talked about various initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety of victims during the pandemic.
The first webinar, entitled Addressing Domestic Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic, featured an international representation of judges and justice sector professionals from both the judiciary and the executive in a discussion in respectively English, French and Spanish.
The second webinar, entitled Garantizar el Acceso a la Justicia Durante la Pandemia del COVID-19 (Guarantying Access to Justice During the COVID-19 Pandemic), was held in Spanish and discussed how Courts in different countries are responding to COVID-19. IAWJ members from the Latin America and Caribbean region presented various initiatives to ensure justice during a pandemic. The webinar featured judges from IAWJ’s network in Colombia, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic.
The third webinar, Comparative Discussion on COVID-19 and the Courts, featured a comparative regional discussion about how Courts are responding to a range of issues associated with this pandemic. IAWJ members from Australia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and New Zealand discussed current court operations, plans to ensure that Courts follow public health guidelines and potential issues related to ensuring justice during the health crisis.
The fourth webinar, entitled Judicial Responses to COVID-19 in Prisons and Other Custodial Settings, discussed how prisons and other custodial settings have emerged as ‘hot spots’ during the pandemic. Close congruent settings have put at harm those living in them, those working in them, and the communities in which institutions are located. Speakers discussed how Courts in different countries have responded to requests from people in detention and the relief they are seeking. The webinar featured a number of judges from IAWJ’s broad and diverse membership.
The webinars are available on IAWJ’s website.
