01 November 2014

Court of Appeal defies East Timor's Parliament resolution to terminate all foreign judges

ETLJB 01/11/2014  From Suara Timor-Lorosae President of the Court of Appeal (Chief Justice) Issues Formal Instructions to Courts, International Judges to Continue Serving on Bench Until Decision of Superior Council of Judiciary - Courts today (28/10/2014) today received official communication from the President of the Court of Appeal, that all international judges were to continue to exercise their functions in the Dili, Suai, Baucau and Oecussi District Courts.

According to the Dili District Court Judge Administrator, Duarte Tilman Soares, on 28 October last the Courts received formal instructions from the President of the Court of Appeal (the highest judicial post in the country) that international judges are to continue to exercise their full judicial functions in the court they have been appointed as usual, until the Superior Council for the Judiciary (SCJ) has deliberated on the issue of the parliamentary resolution regarding the justice sector.

 “The international judges will continue to exercise their judicial functions based on the contracts they entered into with the SCJ.  Whether they will be removed from their positions or not, that will be a matter for the SCJ to determine. The President of the Court of Appeals letter invoked article 18, line e of law number 11/2004 of 29 December (the powers and functions of Judicial Officers), as well as article 18, number 2, 41, 55, 60, 70 and 82 of decree law 19 of 2012,” Tilman told journalists during an interview at the Dili District Court.

However, the Director of the Legal training Centre Marcelina Tilman da Silva, the Parliamentary and Government resolution, has resulted in all training staff stop work, and they have handed in all their equipment and materials.  Source: http://suara-timor-lorosae.com/tribunal-simu-ofisio-do-presidenti-tribunal-rekursu-ji-kontinua-servisu-hodi-hein-desizaun-ksmj 

See also
East Timor's Parliament resolves to terminate all foreign judges
Parliament and Government must respect the independence of the judiciary and separation of powers
Judiciary under attack in East Timor

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