Damascus, July 29 (SANA) Syrian legal officials and judicial experts have recommended adopting a judicial code of conduct intended to strengthen judicial independence, integrity and public confidence in the country’s courts following a two-day workshop in Damascus.
The recommendations, issued at the conclusion of a national workshop sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, call on the Supreme Judicial Council to approve the draft code after reviewing comments and proposals submitted during the discussions.
According to the Justice Ministry, the proposed code is based on the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct and relevant international standards on judicial independence while remaining consistent with Syria’s Constitution and national legislation.
Participants recommended introducing continuous ethics training for judges, incorporating judicial conduct into the curriculum of the Judicial Institute, and providing awareness programs for lawyers in coordination with the Syrian Bar Association.
The workshop also called for cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to introduce courses on judicial ethics in law schools and establish academic partnerships with public and private universities.
Among the recommendations were specialized training on judicial integrity, conflict-of-interest management, professional conduct and judicial communication, as well as practical guidelines to help judges and judicial inspectors apply the code consistently.
Participants also proposed creating a mechanism to periodically review and update the code in line with legislative and judicial developments and international best practices.
Deputy Justice Minister for Judicial Affairs Judge Mustafa al-Qassem told SANA the recommendations would be submitted to the Supreme Judicial Council for consideration before the code is adopted in its final form.
He said the next stage would focus on training judicial personnel, integrating judicial conduct into university curricula, coordinating with the Syrian Bar Association and strengthening the independence and integrity of the judiciary.
The workshop opened Monday at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus to review the draft Judicial Code of Conduct and gather feedback before its final adoption.
R.D/ABD
