The EU Mission for the Support of Palestinian Police and Rule of Law
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EUPOL COPPS supports Palestinian partners to address delays in justice system

EUPOL COPPS organised a workshop on 6 April with representatives of the Palestinian criminal justice system from the High Judicial Council, Ministry of Justice and the Palestinian Civil Police in order to identify the root causes behind delays to the judicial process and discuss ways to reduce the backlog of cases.

“The right to a Fair Trial is one of the most prominent foundations of criminal justice and ensuring an effective legal process by reducing delays and case back logs is an important part of that,” said EUPOL COPPS Head of Mission Nataliya Apostolova, who delivered opening remarks at the start of the workshop. “The Palestinian people have the right to fair processes by competent, independent and impartial courts governed by law and to expect their cases to be efficiently and expediently treated. This is crucial to gain trust and accountability from citizens,” she continued.

The workshop took place within the framework of the Fair Trial Working Group – a multi-agency network of Palestinian experts working together with EUPOL COPPS advisers to advance the right to a fair trial. Addressing weaknesses in the rule of law system is a core objective in EUPOL COPPS’s work, and is a crucial element for Palestinian justice institutions to enhance trust and accountability with the Palestinian general public.

The meeting on 6 April will be followed up in May with proposals of concrete measures to address the causes of delays in the judicial system. The group will also work on an implementation plan to put these measures into action.