PM: Judicial reform is an urgent national need

DAMASCUS – The government is working on judicial reform that is an “urgent” need on the national level, Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi said on Saturday.

Addressing the third Judicial Conference, al-Halaqi referred to the recent automation of judicial and administrative work as part of a series of measures taken by the government to the effect of achieving judicial reform, SANA reported.

Attention is paid to updating laws in place and the efforts to restore the judicial facilities damaged due to the terrorist organizations’ acts in Daraa, Damascus Countryside, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Deir Ezzor, the Premier said.

Work is also underway to build new justice palaces in Damascus and Lattakia and expand the justice palace of Tartous, he added.

 For his part, Minister of Justice Najm al-Ahmad said efforts and future visions are aimed at getting to shorten litigation duration and fostering the citizens’ trust in the judiciary.

He took the opportunity of the conference to reiterate that the doors of the Ministry and its courts are open to those who were mislead into getting involved in the events in the country and are willing to get back on the right track.

The conference is scheduled to discuss court laws, the new law on leasing real-estate properties, the archiving of judicial agencies’ work and the automation of judicial and administrative work.

On the sidelines of the conference, al-Halaqi inaugurated the expansion of the Technical and Judicial Institute and the Terrorism Court in Damascus with a value of more than SYP 70 million.