پەرلەمانی کوردستان
2023-08-28T19:10:54.000000Z
Erbil, Kurdistan Region, August 27, 2027
President Nechirvan Barzani received today in Erbil 60 graduates of the Judicial Institute, including 45 judges and 15 deputy prosecutors. The graduates, including 25 women, were sworn in during a ceremony, and will be serving in Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok and Garmian regions.
The meeting was also attended by the President and members of the Judicial Council, members of the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Justice, and a number of officials from the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region. The following is a readout of the President’s speech at the ceremony:
Honorable President and Members of the Judicial Council,
Honorable Judges,
Members of the Prosecutor General's Office,
Mr. Minister,
Dear Attendees,
Good morning,
Welcome everyone,
I am very pleased that today we are participating in the inauguration ceremony of 60 graduates of the fourth round of the Institute of Judges, including 45 judges and 15 deputy prosecutors. It is a great pleasure to note that twenty-four graduates are women who will be serving in Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok, and Garmian regions among other graduates. I warmly congratulate you.
Being a judge is a difficult duty and a great responsibility towards God, towards conscience, towards society, and towards humanity. Indeed, you have chosen a difficult career. I wish you success in this difficult path you have chosen.
After you successfully graduated from the judiciary, you, both as a judge and as deputies of the prosecutor general, have been sworn in and will be appointed. This is an important event for the Kurdistan Region. You are directly involved with the citizens and their demands and rights. You are the defenders of the rights of all sections of society, rights, property, and public interests.
Ladies and Gentleman,
Justice is the basis of governance in any country. It is the protector of society and the political system in any country. For the developed societies of the world, judicial independence, the rule of law, and trust in the judiciary are necessities. It is the basis of political, economic, and social progress.
How important should it be for a society like Kurdistan, which is in transition and wants to strengthen the democratic system it has established?
I'm sure you all know the views of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and French President Charles de Gaulle during World War II. When London was about to be destroyed by Nazi bombing in the heat of the war, Churchill asked the Minister of Justice: "How is the judiciary?" The minister replied: “Well! Churchill made his famous quote: So don't be afraid, Britain is safe.”
After the liberation of France from the Nazi occupation, when President de Gaulle returned to Paris, he asked a friend: “How is the judiciary in the country?” He replies: “It's still good.”
"So we can rebuild France," de Gaulle says.
In developed societies, this is how they view the judiciary. Therefore, for us in the Kurdistan Region, the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law are the main pillars of good and successful governance in the country... In order for citizens to have faith in the judiciary, the law and the courts, they must be sure that their rights are protected.
In order for the judiciary to implement the law and justice, in order to be truly trustworthy and protect the rights of all, it must play its proper role in building a comfortable civil society, completely impartial and free in the course of investigation and decision-making.
This is a great duty and responsibility of the judges and of you. You bear that responsibility before God, conscience and humanity. You must be up to that duty and responsibility.
Dear attendees,
The law empowers the judge to be free. It is the duty of the judiciary to maintain its independence. It is the duty of the judge not to allow imposition from from any party or authority.
A citizen can sleep peacefully at night when he has confidence in the law and attachment to the country, and when the country ensures that the judiciary, courts, and judges are independent. He should be sure that if his rights are ever violated, a sovereign law will protect him. It will restore his rights and dignity. If the citizens do not have that confidence, nothing else will stand right.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, you have all the support of the Kurdistan Region Presidency, the country's institutions and the relevant parties.
Of course, we have not said that there is no problem with the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in the Kurdistan Region! We are not saying that everything in the judiciary is right and not under any political pressure!
There are serious problems and challenges facing the judiciary that need to be reformed. But what is important, I can assure you, is that we have a serious will, we are determined and we are constantly working to improve it. You can eliminate the problems step by step.
You can uphold the law and not allow interference in your duties and decisions. I can say for sure that the judiciary has taken that path and will continue to do so. Although we know there are many problems, although we know the problems are not easy, but that is a goal that the judges are working on.
Dear Attendees,
It is important to constantly improve your skills. Respect human rights and international standards in the judiciary, attend training and empowerment courses in all fields, make maximum use of technology, and maintain continuous communication and cooperation with the authorities in other countries of the Kurdistan Region and judicial institutions in Iraq and around the world.
When the law on the Judicial Institute was drafted, we had several objectives, including: training judges and members of the prosecutor general and developing their scientific and cognitive levels, so that the judiciary can strengthen its position in terms of both institutional and Human Resources, and the rule of law should be stronger and more efficient.
Now we see the product of the Judicial Institute that is the result of this law in the Kurdistan Region. This is our pleasure and appreciation.
I would like to take this opportunity to advocate that a bill should be prepared for the prosecutor general to prepare a legal organization for its work and a solid institutional structure, to be submitted to the next Kurdistan Parliament for discussion and approval.
I would like to congratulate all the graduates, judges and deputy prosecutors, especially the women. I hope your assumption of office will fill some of the shortcomings in this field. Become an example for a new generation of the judiciary, with a new spirit, independently and freely to perform your duties and strengthen trust and confidence among citizens.
Thanks to the Institute of Justice. You are fulfilling a sacred duty. Good luck and may God support you.
Thank you for attending and I wish you a good day. I congratulate you all again.
President Nechirvan Barzani received today in Erbil 60 graduates of the Judicial Institute, including 45 judges and 15 deputy prosecutors. The graduates, including 25 women, were sworn in during a ceremony, and will be serving in Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok and Garmian regions.
The meeting was also attended by the President and members of the Judicial Council, members of the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Justice, and a number of officials from the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region. The following is a readout of the President’s speech at the ceremony:
Honorable President and Members of the Judicial Council,
Honorable Judges,
Members of the Prosecutor General's Office,
Mr. Minister,
Dear Attendees,
Good morning,
Welcome everyone,
I am very pleased that today we are participating in the inauguration ceremony of 60 graduates of the fourth round of the Institute of Judges, including 45 judges and 15 deputy prosecutors. It is a great pleasure to note that twenty-four graduates are women who will be serving in Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok, and Garmian regions among other graduates. I warmly congratulate you.
Being a judge is a difficult duty and a great responsibility towards God, towards conscience, towards society, and towards humanity. Indeed, you have chosen a difficult career. I wish you success in this difficult path you have chosen.
After you successfully graduated from the judiciary, you, both as a judge and as deputies of the prosecutor general, have been sworn in and will be appointed. This is an important event for the Kurdistan Region. You are directly involved with the citizens and their demands and rights. You are the defenders of the rights of all sections of society, rights, property, and public interests.
Ladies and Gentleman,
Justice is the basis of governance in any country. It is the protector of society and the political system in any country. For the developed societies of the world, judicial independence, the rule of law, and trust in the judiciary are necessities. It is the basis of political, economic, and social progress.
How important should it be for a society like Kurdistan, which is in transition and wants to strengthen the democratic system it has established?
I'm sure you all know the views of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and French President Charles de Gaulle during World War II. When London was about to be destroyed by Nazi bombing in the heat of the war, Churchill asked the Minister of Justice: "How is the judiciary?" The minister replied: “Well! Churchill made his famous quote: So don't be afraid, Britain is safe.”
After the liberation of France from the Nazi occupation, when President de Gaulle returned to Paris, he asked a friend: “How is the judiciary in the country?” He replies: “It's still good.”
"So we can rebuild France," de Gaulle says.
In developed societies, this is how they view the judiciary. Therefore, for us in the Kurdistan Region, the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law are the main pillars of good and successful governance in the country... In order for citizens to have faith in the judiciary, the law and the courts, they must be sure that their rights are protected.
In order for the judiciary to implement the law and justice, in order to be truly trustworthy and protect the rights of all, it must play its proper role in building a comfortable civil society, completely impartial and free in the course of investigation and decision-making.
This is a great duty and responsibility of the judges and of you. You bear that responsibility before God, conscience and humanity. You must be up to that duty and responsibility.
Dear attendees,
The law empowers the judge to be free. It is the duty of the judiciary to maintain its independence. It is the duty of the judge not to allow imposition from from any party or authority.
A citizen can sleep peacefully at night when he has confidence in the law and attachment to the country, and when the country ensures that the judiciary, courts, and judges are independent. He should be sure that if his rights are ever violated, a sovereign law will protect him. It will restore his rights and dignity. If the citizens do not have that confidence, nothing else will stand right.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, you have all the support of the Kurdistan Region Presidency, the country's institutions and the relevant parties.
Of course, we have not said that there is no problem with the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in the Kurdistan Region! We are not saying that everything in the judiciary is right and not under any political pressure!
There are serious problems and challenges facing the judiciary that need to be reformed. But what is important, I can assure you, is that we have a serious will, we are determined and we are constantly working to improve it. You can eliminate the problems step by step.
You can uphold the law and not allow interference in your duties and decisions. I can say for sure that the judiciary has taken that path and will continue to do so. Although we know there are many problems, although we know the problems are not easy, but that is a goal that the judges are working on.
Dear Attendees,
It is important to constantly improve your skills. Respect human rights and international standards in the judiciary, attend training and empowerment courses in all fields, make maximum use of technology, and maintain continuous communication and cooperation with the authorities in other countries of the Kurdistan Region and judicial institutions in Iraq and around the world.
When the law on the Judicial Institute was drafted, we had several objectives, including: training judges and members of the prosecutor general and developing their scientific and cognitive levels, so that the judiciary can strengthen its position in terms of both institutional and Human Resources, and the rule of law should be stronger and more efficient.
Now we see the product of the Judicial Institute that is the result of this law in the Kurdistan Region. This is our pleasure and appreciation.
I would like to take this opportunity to advocate that a bill should be prepared for the prosecutor general to prepare a legal organization for its work and a solid institutional structure, to be submitted to the next Kurdistan Parliament for discussion and approval.
I would like to congratulate all the graduates, judges and deputy prosecutors, especially the women. I hope your assumption of office will fill some of the shortcomings in this field. Become an example for a new generation of the judiciary, with a new spirit, independently and freely to perform your duties and strengthen trust and confidence among citizens.
Thanks to the Institute of Justice. You are fulfilling a sacred duty. Good luck and may God support you.
Thank you for attending and I wish you a good day. I congratulate you all again.
