The Supreme Court of Indonesia, in cooperation with UNDP SUSTAIN (Support for Reform of the Justice Sector in Indonesia) and UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, hosted the second meeting of the Judicial Integrity Champions network on 25-26 March 2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

About 160 judicial representatives took part in the event, including the Supreme Court leadership and heads of Appellate Courts nationwide, in addition to the network members from Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and most recently, Viet Nam. For the event report, click here.

Since the Network’s launch in 2018, UNDP collaborated with the International Consortium for Court Excellence to develop a new tool in addition to the International Framework for Court Excellence, the UNDP Judicial Integrity Self-Assessment Checklist, providing courts with an in-depth and focused approach that enables them to readily identify measures for improving court integrity. The second network meeting provided an opportunity to present in detail the tools available to promote and enhance court excellence and integrity, as well as Malaysia’s recent experience, wherein the Chief Justice requested to utilize the tools mentioned to inform a judicial reform plan.   

In addition, judges presented examples of how innovation and technologies can be instrumental for improving court performance, especially transparency and accountability in the courts. Indonesia, for example, shared its recent experience of setting up an integrated database which combines case management, internal supervision, human resource management and training records to achieve transparent and accountable justice. The Philippines presented their experience with e-courts and Small Claim cases, while Vietnam shared their current focus on training judges on commercial dispute resolution.

The variety of the initiatives presented and the lively discussions over the two days showed that the role of the judiciary is not only limited to safeguarding the rule of law and protecting human rights. Delivering excellent court services and demonstrating judicial integrity not only builds public trust, but it also creates a rule-based, predictable and fair environment, conducive to business, investment and sustainable growth. 

Click here to view photos from the event.