ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 06th Apr, 2021) The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) recently concluded a workshop on "The Practical Problems with Restorative Justice within the Criminal Justice System", in light of the Code of Criminal Procedure and other legislation.
The workshop was attended by nearly 90 judges and members of the Court of Cassation, Judicial Inspection Division, Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, Criminal Circuits of Al Ain and Al Dhafra Courts, Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution Office, and attorneys of the Government Case Division.
In the opening speech at the workshop, Counsellor Ali Al-Shaer Al Dhaheri, Director of the Judicial Inspection Division, noted that the organising of this workshop is in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of the Judicial Department, to implement the best judicial practices and to take the lead in establishing an efficient and world-class justice system through the promotion of intellectual enrichment, exchange of experiences, knowledge transfer, and consistent vision among judges on the most important practices and on the problems related to legislative and judicial developments.
Counsellor Mansour Al-Marzouqi, Chief Justice of the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, explained that the workshop aims to develop the skills of national cadres, including members of the Public Prosecution Office and judges, and to promote the notion of restorative justice in light of the Code of Criminal Procedures and other legislation.
The concept of restorative justice complements the long-established judicial systems and does not replace them. Moreover, it is of great importance in the UAE penal policy, because of its positive effects in terms of repairing the harm caused by crime, and fulfilling the needs of all parties through adapting a flexible, comprehensive and humane approach that achieves justice for the victim and allows for empowerment, accountability and reintegration of perpetrators into the society, and a life that respects the law, which in turn will lead to restoring a sense of security, dignity and justice in the victims and society, he added.
The workshop included discussions on several topics, most importantly, Penal conciliation as a qualitative notion for settling disputes amicably; practical problems of disposition and mediation of criminal cases; mediation, reconciliation, settlement and waiver; crimes subject to conciliation and mediation under the Code of Criminal Procedure and other laws; extended applicability by analogy in crimes subject to conciliation; the shortcomings in the judicial system in relation to conciliation in practice, and the basic principles of restorative justice.
