The ‘Judiciary for Juniors’ Programme Successfully Concludes

On Saturday, the closing ceremony of the ‘Judiciary for Juniors’ programme was held with 37 participants successfully completing the programme and being awarded certificates. The 8-day programme was facilitated by the Judicial Service Commission in association with the Department for Judicial Administration and UNDP in the Maldives with additional support from UK Aid. The programme was targeted towards youth between the ages of 15-20 years.

The Judiciary for Juniors programme serves the objective of instilling interest in the judiciary and judgeship among prospective law students and increasing general knowledge of the Justice sector by building accessibility towards justice. It also aimed at directing young audiences to career paths within the judicial field such as Judgeship, administrative systems, policymaking, implementation of legislation and media & communications.

The programme promoted a culture of transparency within the Judiciary, by relaying crucial information on due processes including how a Judicial System/Court case is handled through due process. This information builds on the knowledge of the participants and increased their understanding of the judicial system. The sessions were facilitated by several teams comprising Judges, Lawyers, JSC staff, DJA staff, UNDP staff and field professionals from the Attorney General’s Office, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Courts, and the Judges Association.

Speaking at the ceremony, Justice of the Supreme Court, Uz Husnu Al Suood remarked that it is vital for students to delve into the reasonings behind the laws and regulations and ponder on rationality rather than the ink of the laws. Such programmes pave the way for students to develop their thought processes with law and justice in mind.

UNDP Resident Representative in the Maldives, Enrico Gaveglia said “The opening of the justice sector is something very rare to indulge in. The Judiciary for Juniors programme came about because there was a need inside the sector to share what is being done- to be heard as much as to tell their story”.

Shana Shuaib, a participant in the programme reflected on her experience and shared “While this was an eight-day programme, we have learned and gained knowledge that is going to last a lifetime. How I viewed the justice system in the Maldives has completely changed over these eight days”.