Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program Year Two Annual Report

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Chemonics International. The goal of this program is to strengthen public confidence in and respect for justice sector institutions and the Rule of Law in the West Bank. PJEP achieved its goal through four components: Component 1, Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions; Component 2, Strengthen capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals; Component 3, Broaden public awareness of the Rule of Law and engagement with justice sector institutions; and Component 4, Use windows of opportunity to facilitate the development of legal, institutional, and policy frameworks that enhance judicial independence and justice sector coordination. During the year, PJEP provided support to the High Judicial Council (HJC) by upgrading West Bank courts with the purchase of IT equipment and furniture, as well as upgrading the Ministry of Justice's (MOJ) new office in Ramallah and the Justice Record Offices (JRO) in Tubas and Nablus. PJEP also sponsored the HJC's Fifth Annual Judicial Conference in August 2012 and provided capacity building training on various topics for MOJ and HJC staff. To support the Palestinian Judicial Institute (PJI), the project completed the upgrades to the computer lab that is used by judges, lawyers, and court staff as a resource for training and other educational purposes. PJEP also provided training for judges on Land Settlement Law, Insurance Law, and Judicial Mediation, as well as designed and conducted a Training of Trainers (TOT) program. Selected HJC court staff, PJI staff, and HJC Training Department staff took part in the TOT program. PJEP also conducted local and national moot court competitions for students from An Najah, Hebron, Ahliya, and Al Quds law schools. In addition, the project provided computers and completed the remodeling of the moot court facilities for Al Ahliya, Hebron, and An Najah Universities, and provided books and legal periodicals for law schools' libraries. The project awarded 7 small grants to qualified Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who work to build public awareness of legal rights and the Rule of Law. PJEP also entered into a joint project activity with the UDAID Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project (PACE) to completely remodel and furnish the Ramallah Conciliation Court. The project hired staff for several positions, including Activities Coordinator, Senior Grants Accountant, Justice Institution Strengthening Specialist, Reporting and Communications Officer, Grants Officer, Media Officer, and Legal Researcher, as well as several embedded positions for justice sector institutions.