The ILAC 3-year programme “Training of Tunisian judges” aiming at training all of Tunisias’ 1800 judges is now well over mid-term and the trainings implemented by CEELI Institute and IBA, keeps receiving good reviews in the evaluations from the participating judges. But what happens after the sessions are over and how are the personal action plans able to put in use?
The court in Beja, is one of the three selected focus courts that ILAC regularly visits in order to follow up the outcomes and practical implementations of the training programmes. When visiting the court in Beja, ILAC Programme Manager Rhodri Williams and Tunisia representative Leila Dachraoui met with judges, of which some had participated in the previous courses and some who will participate in a near future.
Concrete improvement and a training worth revisiting
During ILAC’s visit to Beja , the judges were overwhelmingly positive in their assessment of our trainings and their practical use. They particularly valued the opportunity to share experiences with colleagues from other courts.
Yet, because of the incredible caseload in Beja’s courthouse, only some of the practical suggestions from the training sessions have been implemented.
– We now have announcement boards in order to make it easier for the public visiting the court house, to follow the different cases, explained Olfa Belaid, a senior judge who participated in the CEELI Institute’s training in March 2013.
The most common feedback we received is that more time is needed to implement action plans from the trainings. For example, Latifa Dahari, who has been a judge on the Beja court for five years, said that she and her fellow trainees have been encouraging her court to adopt an electronic management system because of their training on how to improve court communications.
When attending the ILAC training, Ms Latifa Daharis husband, Niedahl Ben Ali, also a sitting judge, was accompanying her to the training, but not being able to attend the course. He is now hoping to attend shortly and when he’s coming back for the training, Ms Latifa might join him on the trip. But not to stay by the side of the swimming pool.
– No no, I don’t want to be in the pool, Ms Latifa says, I want to join the course again! The first time I took the course I had a much more theoretical view on these issues. Now, with one more year of experience, and the last course in mind, I would return with a more practical and pragmatic perspective, and the course would then be a different experience.
