Building Integrity and Combating Corruption in Commonwealth Judiciaries - An Update
| Author | Commonwealth Secretariat |
| Pages | 417-418 |
Page 417
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Law Ministers will recall that at their meeting in St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2002, they considered the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Commonwealth Judicial Colloquium on Combating Corruption within the Judiciary which was held in Limassol, Cyprus in June 2002.
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Law Ministers will further recall that the Colloquium conclusions and recommendations cover a range of subjects and areas but those of importance are:
The Colloquium:
i. recommends the adoption of guidelines on judicial ethics as a means of underpinning the integrity of the judiciary and promoting better public awareness of the requisite ethical standards. Such guidelines should be formulated by judicial officers and kept under constant review by them. Judicial officers should take responsibility for ensuring compliance with those guidelines;
ii. urges all national and international legal professional organisations within the Commonwealth to promote anti-corruption programmes for the legal profession;
iii. encourages the formulation of national strategies aimed at eliminating conflicts in interest and corrupt practices within the judiciary;
iv. recognising that transparency assists in combating corruption, encourages judicial officers and their court staff to foster greater public awareness of the court's operations, role and functions;
v. place on record its support in principle for the Latimer House Guidelines and their footnotes as they relate to the judiciary; and
vi. notes that traditional or customary courts and other tribunals recognised in some national constitutions make a positive contribution to the administration of justice. The public that is served by such bodies should continue to expect and receive fair and just resolution of their disputes.
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The Colloquium also expressed the view that in considering action within courts:
vii. judicial training programmes should be available and should include training on ethical and corruption issues. For newly appointed judicial officers the practice of mentoring should be encouraged; and
viii. there should be greater interaction between judicial officers at all levels nationally, regionally, and internationally in order to promote the best judicial practice.
Page 418
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In furtherance of the Limassol Conclusions, the Commonwealth Secretariat by its Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division and the Commonwealth...
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