Shared values, concerns and challenges discussed at high level Commonwealth law meeting

Helping introduce technology into the courtrooms of small jurisdictions is the latest mandate to be handed down from law ministers and attorneys-general to the Commonwealth Secretariat.

This help from the Secretariat, they believe, could consist of reviewing the needs of the country requesting assistance, prioritising areas for implementation and identifying possible sources of funding. It may also involve drafting model implementing legislations, training and providing experts from more technologically-endowed jurisdictions.

This new mandate demonstrates the forward looking nature of assistance given by the Commonwealth Secretariat to help countries using technology to deliver a better and strengthened administration of justice in small jurisdictions.

The mandate emerged at the end of a Meeting of Law Ministers and Attorneys-General of Commonwealth Small Jurisdictions, which took place in London from 21 to 22 October.

Other issues deliberated on over the two-days include:

· The role of the attorney-general – A paper was presented on this subject. Among other things, it made recommendations on the relationship between an attorney-general and a director of prosecutions. It also focused on the importance of providing the office of the attorney-general with adequate human resources and training, as well as physical resources such as accommodation and information technology.

· Competing criminal jurisdictions – Law ministers and attorneys-general reviewed a paper which sets out criteria to be taken into account when dealing with competing jurisdictions. They welcomed the willingness of the Secretariat to disseminate the guidelines contained in this paper.

· Juvenile justice – Law ministers and attorneys-general commended the Secretariat’s Framework for the Implementation of a Functional Juvenile Justice Framework, and encouraged member countries to seek the support of the Secretariat with implementing it.

Power of the network

This meeting, the eleventh of its kind, was officially opened by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, who said it was “further testimony to the power of the network in addressing shared values, shared concerns, and shared challenges”.

Mr Sharma added that the meeting was central to the very being of the Commonwealth and that “respect for and implementation of the rule of law is a foundation of this association.”

Over the course of the meeting, in which 23 jurisdictions were represented, law ministers and attorneys-general also reviewed and took stock of the work done by the Secretariat in respect to its legal mandates.

The Bahamian representative at the meeting was John Delaney QC, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs.

“This meeting has been tremendously useful, especially since many of the issues confronting law ministers and attorneys-general all over the Commonwealth, are familiar issues that we presently face in The Bahamas,” he said.

“One such common issue is international co-operation with respect to mutual legal assistance. I was pleased to share the fairly successful experience of The Bahamas in this area.”

Communiqué

Click here to read the communiqué

Key Links:

• Our work: Rule of Law