The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) yesterday inaugurated the new ‘Code of Judicial Conduct’ at a ceremony held on the sidelines of the second high-level meeting of the Global Judicial Integrity Network, currently in session at the Doha Sheraton Hotel.
The ceremony, which was attended by HE the President of the Supreme Judiciary Council and President of the Court of Cassation Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr al-Mohannadi, and a number of heads of courts and judicial authorities from different countries of the world, included the inauguration of the new visual identity of the council.
The new Code of Judicial Conduct aims to enhance the independence, impartiality, and competence of judges and their associates, the effectiveness of their procedures, and to establish the rule of law in a manner that enhances the confidence of litigants in the judiciary and its role in establishing completed justice with impartiality.
Dr al-Mohannadi said that the SJC is working to develop the judicial sector in the country in line with the rational vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in achieving prompt justice.
He added that the new code of judicial conduct comes within the framework of this development, as it keeps pace with the global developments in the work of judges and sets guiding principles that will be a reference for judges in all matters related to their tasks and specialities.
Dr al-Mohannadi pointed out that the code keeps abreast of everything new and modern in the field of judges work, and its principles are derived from domestic legislation in addition to international norms concerned with the judicial sector and international treaties in this regard.
He explained that the Code would bring benefit to all parties dealing with the judiciary, whether the judges themselves or the society, so that the relationship between the two parties would be organised in a way that would benefit everyone in an independent judiciary and a completed justice that respected human rights.
The new Code of Judicial Conduct derives its basic reference principles from the provisions of Islamic law, the permanent constitution of the state, the moral values of society, the law of the judiciary, the values and traditions of the Qatari judiciary and relevant international treaties and agreements.
The new visual identity of the Supreme Judicial Council embodies the basic principles upon which the Qatari society built its judicial system and reflects in its entirety the noble mission of the judiciary across generations, history and the established principle in achieving justice.
Meanwhile, the sessions focused on the importance of judges to pursue behavioural and ethical standards that reflect judicial integrity.
In a session on judges’ use of social media, participants stressed the importance of including this topic in the Network’s action plan in order to assist judges through non-binding guidelines to explain how to use social media, and the opportunities and risks arising from the use of social media.
Another session discussed the selection and appointment of judges and judicial independence.
President of the Court of Appeal Judge Ibrahim Saleh al-Nisf said that the appointment of judges in the State of Qatar is based on clear criteria that achieve the integrity and justice that everyone seeks.
He spoke about the history of the judiciary in the State of Qatar before the issuance of the Judicial Authority Law No 10 of 2003 and its amendments, and the developments in the judicial sector in the state after the issuance of that law.
He reviewed the mechanisms of the SJC and the criteria for appointing judges and assistant judges.
Judge al-Nisf underlined that the Qatari Constitution, in its sixtieth clause, and the legislations of the judiciary, have guaranteed the judiciary procedural and structural independence that is unique and highly developed in accordance with the standards of modern state institutions.
Vice-President of the Court of Cassation and Head of the Judicial Inspection Department, Judge Abdullah Ahmad al-Saadi highlighted the ethics of the judges, explaining that the code of judicial conduct that sets the standards and methodologies for a judges behaviour must be applied by the judge in his personal life and his dealings with society as well.
He underlined that it is important that any code of judicial conduct includes texts that define the standards and controls for judges’ interaction with social media and the media.
Dean of the College of Law at Qatar University Dr Mohamed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi spoke about the importance of enhancing judicial integrity of all law students, qualifying and training them on the standards of that integrity and methodologies of judicial behaviour.
He said that the College of Law at Qatar University has developed a comprehensive methodology to inculcate judicial integrity among students since they joined the college, through academic curricula and training programs approved in this aspect.