Justice Sector Technical Assistance Program

Description

The Higher Judicial Council (HJC) is the main body charged with improving and reforming the judiciary. However, the HJC admittedly does not have the technical expertise to make these wide-ranging, systemic reforms in the two areas indicated above. The technical expertise from an implementer would provide expert advice and training on how to prosecute and adjudicate complex criminal cases that involve the use of technical evidence and/or evidence derived from modern forensic techniques, especially as they relate to cases involving money laundering, cybercrime, and terrorism. Training, advice, and mentorship are also needed on the development and use of a plea bargaining system and on alternatives to incarceration that are written in the law, but implemented on an ad hoc basis. There are alternatives to incarceration laws on the books, i.e. setting bail and parole for minor misdemeanor cases, however they are either not used or used on an inconsistent basis. There is no law on plea bargaining. Ultimately, our vision for this project is two-fold. First, to support the Lebanese judicial system to develop the specialized skills and build the capacity necessary to prosecute and adjudicate complex criminal cases that involve the use of technical evidence and/or modern forensic techniques, especially as they relate to cases involving money laundering, cybercrime, and terrorism. Second, to assist in implementing alternatives to incarceration that already exist and to develop legislation and processes for the use of plea bargaining to resolve cases before they go to trial.

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