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Regional Conference “Toward Developing Legal Instruction in the Arab Region” Cairo, 20-21 April 2000

 

Overview of the conference:

 

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession organized the Conference Toward Developing Legal Instruction in the Arab Region in conjunction with the British Council and the Friedrich Nauman Foundation in Cairo on 20-21 April 2000.Ten research papers were presented as well as seventy participants from five countries including Arab and foreign law professors, judges, justices, many of Arab ambassadors in Cairo and representative of the Arab League States. 

 

A.     Table below shows participated Arab NGOs :

 

No

NGO

State

1

Tunisian Association for Young Lawyers

Tunisia

2

Legal Researches and Studies Center

Yemen

3

Sudanese Organization for Human Rights

Sudan

4

Strategic Studies Center

Kuwait

5

Arab Organization for Human Rights

Egypt

6

Egyptian Organization for Human Rights

Egypt

7

Legal Information and Studies Center

Egypt

8

The Center for Studies of Alternative Development

Egypt

9

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

Egypt

10

Human Rights Center for Assistance Prisoners

Egypt

11

Egyptian Center for Women’s Right

Egypt

 

B.     Table below shows participated Arab schools:

 

No

 Law School

1

Khartoum University – Sudan

2

Kuwait University – Kuwait

3

Damascus University – Syria

4

Al-Fateh University – Libya

5

Qatar University – Qatar

6

Tanta University – Egypt

7

Ein Shams University – Egypt

8

Cairo University – Egypt

9

Mansoura University – Egypt

10

Helwan University – Egypt

11

Alexandria University – Egypt

12

Mounifiya University – Egypt

13

Zaqaziq University – Egypt

14

Banha University – Egypt

 

c.    Table below shows participated International institutions:

 

No

Institution

1

Amnesty International

2

Frederich Nauman Foundation

3

Ford Foundation

4

Arab League States

5

Kuwaiti Embassy in Cairo

6

Sudanese Embassy in Cairo

7

Libyan Embassy in Cairo

8

Yemeni Embassy in Cairo

 

Main goals of the conference:

§         To asses legal education in the Arab region during the last period through reviewing other examples of law schools and development education in Arab countries.

§         To study justice requirements for the new millennium and means to prepare and qualify law student accordance with anticipated conflict that may happen at the new time.

§         To examine best means for modern technology under information and communication revolution to develop law education methods.

§         To look into education means of international schools and its conformity with law schools in the Arab region.

§         To study significance of permanent mechanisms for continuous education in order to activate scientific research.

§         To examine mechanisms for education of international instruments on human rights to be introduced in legal curriculum in Arab countries.

 

Research papers: 

 

No

Paper

Writer

1

Legal instruction policy in Yemeni law colleges and impact on the justice system

Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Ali Al-Mekhlafy, Chief of legal studies and researches of Yemen Studies and Researches Center

2

Developing the teaching of law in Syrain colleges of law

Dr. Amal Yazgi, International law professor- Damascus University

3

Development of legal studies at Qatar University

Dr. Abdel Hamid Al-Ansari, dean of Islamic studies and law- Qatar University

4

Khartoum University law school, Tow Niles University and Omdurman University

Dr. Abdel Rahman Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, associate professor, Khartoum University

5

Developing legal science education in Libyan Universities

Dr. Mayloud Al-Mahadhaby, International law professor- Al-Fateh University

6

Optimizing legal studies in Kuwait

Justice. Nasser Mohamed Nasser Al-Masry, public works ministry

7

Human rights education in Tunisian University

Mr. Yousef Al-Razqi-Deputy of Tunisian Association for Young Lawyers

8

General observations on the teaching of criminal law in Egyptian colleges of law

Dr. Hoda Hamed Qashqoush, criminal law- Ein Shams University

9

Basis of procedure law for judiciary organization

Dr. Ahmed Maher Zaghlol, procedure law- Ein Shams University

10

Adoption of liberation economic policies and public law

Dr. Hisham Mohamed Al Badry, public law-Mounifya University

Conference Recommendation:

Participants called for the following:

  1. Arab governments to guarantee material and technical capacity to advance instruction in the law schools.

  2. Arab governments to guarantee independence of universities and grant them true and complete democracy selecting presidents and deans. 

  3. Noninterference of Arab governments for political ends by imposing curricula or denying instruction of issues so long as they be determined appropriate for instruction by a competent university office.

  4. Adoption by law schools of a comprehensive modernization plan for upper-level instruction.

  5. Increase budgets for scientific and practical research and research centers, including those relating to legal fields.

  6. Improvement of curricula and educational programs within branches of law, taking advantage of global experiences that have proven appropriate.

  7. Definition of legal instruction goals and linking them to internal and/or global realities, e.g. money-laundering, computer crimes, intellectual property rights.

  8. Recognition that policy of legal instruction overflows directly into the scope and potential for justice.  The extent of the preservation of such policy conditions the degree of justice between people.

  9. Theory to be linked to practice and education linked to research to better teach law students.

  10. Inclusion of foreign languages and Arabic in law school curricula, taught in view of specialized studies of law.

  11. Closure of curricular gaps between branch-law legal instruction and practical reality.

  12. Discontinuance of system of memorization and repetition in favor of developing character distinguished in thought and scientific-mindedness and advancing a common mindset grasping legislation in all its forms.

  13. Insertion of human rights methods into basic, introductory curriculum.

  14. Incorporation of human rights into curricula as an independent component, to give it proper weight in students' minds.  Coverage of international human rights agreements and comparisons drawn between human rights and religions in the Arab region.  Establishment of an upper level department devoted to human rights issues.

  15. Focus in curricula on shared factors within Arab region and view the study of law as an intellectual branch, wherein law is a product of its philosophical and social resources.

  16. Stronger ties and greater exchanges between Arab law faculties and students. 

  17. Incorporation of study of modern crimes of technological and scientific transformations into law curricula and develop legal opinion and legislation in the field.

  18. Constant oversight of curricula, and a study following up on appropriateness of reform, conducted at least within every four years.

  19. Incorporation of training programs into law curricula to capacitate case-solving abilities, and use of mock courts as a juridical training method.

  20. Selection of educational boards not upon a political basis.  Capability should be the sole basis for selection of board members.

  21. Proper consideration by educational boards of youth and their participaion in developing legal education policy.

  22. Return to system whereby university professors are afforded necessary material benefits and guaranteed an abundant life.

  23. Exchanges and use of foreign experiences in education, and reliance upon Arab professor missions to open up Arab law schools to differing legal experiences throughout the world.

  24. Professors to stop assigning their own books as basic texts, and stopping reliance on the system of prompting answers.

  25. Awareness of law professors to legislative developments and changes that affect material they teach.

  26. Law professors to strengthen ties between students in practical and educational fields, improve relations between students and administration and facilitate practical interaction, thereby.

  27. Consider law schools as key institutions in deference to graduates' role in adjusting tempo of justice on condition that graduates' grades are equivalent to entrance standards set by elite faculties and reviewed by a system of coordinating offices.

  28. Reliance on practical and personal abilities of applicants, and proficiency in at least one foreign language, in determining entrance.

  29. Reinforcing spirit of student research, and continual correction, oral examination and a system of prepared lessons throughout the academic year instead of a single examination system.

  30. Review of length of study at law schools and raising it to at least five years to forge connection between theoretical education and practical training.

  31. Abolition of term system in legal education, and reliance on cumulative knowledge in addition to relevant sciences such as psychology, sociology and forensic medicine; studies of laws of professional relevance, e.g. statutes of the legal profession, judiciary and government registry; and studies on the administration of courts and cases.

  32. Updating links between curriculum designers and nongovernmental organizations concerned with affairs of justice and law, and their consideration in planning and development process of legal instruction.

  33. Modernization of Arab legal offices and conversion into electronic offices with access to greater methods of research and modern communications.

 

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