22 May 2009

East Timor Sector Consultation workshop on Access to Justice, Customary law and local justice, for Justice Operators

Dear development partners,

UNDP Justice System Programme is pleased to inform and invite you to the Sector Consultation Workshop, to be carried out in Dili on Monday 1st June. Please find attached the Invitation and Agenda for the workshop in English and Tetum.

This workshop is a part of a process of consultation on Access Justice Customary Law/Local Justice called by the Ministry of Justice with the support of UN.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your valuable inputs and comments.

Best regards,

Thaiza Castilho

Agenda

8.30- 9.00 Registration

9.00- 9.30 Opening
- Dr. Lucia Lobato, Minister of Justice
- Dr. Claudio Ximenes, President of the Council of Magistrates
- Mr. Akbar Usmani, Country Director of UNDP

9.30- 10.00 The consultation process: Dr. Lucas Da Costa, Director of HR, M. of Justice
Presentation of the workshop and main findings of the consultation process:
Dr. Raquel Yrigoyen Fajardo, UNDP international legal consultant

10.00- 10.15 Coffee-break

10.15- 12.30 Working groups:
Debate and proposals related to the recognition of customary law and local justice.

12.30- 1.45 Lunch

1.45- 3.00 Plenary: Proposals for the recognition of customary law and local justice

3.00-4.00 Comments
- Dr. Ana Pessoa, Prosecutor General
- Dr. Sergio Hornai, Public Defender General
- Dr. Claudio Ximenes, President of the Superior Council of Magistrates

4.00- 4.30 Evaluation Closure

4.30-5.00 Coffee

See also in this blog on customary law in East Timor:

Witchcraft and Murder in East Timor

Ministry of Justice and UNDP organize consultation workshop on East Timorese customary law and local justice

Custom and conflict:The uses and limitations of traditional systems in addressing rural land disputes in East Timor

And on the East Timor Law Journal:

2005 ETLJ 3 On the occasion of the International Conference on Traditional Conflict Resolution & Traditional Justice in Timor-Leste

Image added by ETLJB: Uma Lulik (Sacred House) - The centre of mystical traditional authority in East Timor.

ETLJB Editorial: Supernatural hypotheses are the basis of the customary quasi-legal system in East Timor and the decision-making processes.

Customary law is undemocratic and countenances the violation of human rights. It also varies from region to region.

If East Timor is to avoid plunging into the legal chaos of pluralism and feudal power structures as the basis of the administration of justice in East Timor, then customary law must be modified by statute where it violates democratic principles and tightly regulated in legislation; implemented only as a constituent part of the state judicial system rather than being given any autonomous authority and function.

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