SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Dozens of judges on Monday presented a roadmap to the top Kurdish leaders to do reforms in the Kurdistan Region’s judicial authority.
A group of 85 judges presented a 14-point reform roadmap for the judicial authority to the Kurdistan parliament, the Kurdistan Region presidency and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
“We as a group of judges and public prosecutors … present the suggestions and solutions so as to do reforms in the judicial authority,” the judges said in a statement.
The judges said the Region’s constitution should be completed in the fifth term of the Kurdistan parliament, calling for its preparation and voting in a referendum for the constitution.
They further said the judicial authority law for 2007 should be amended in the “direction which the head of the judicial authority will protect its position as the president of authority and like the legislative and executive powers”.
“To further develop the courts’ works and to impose the rule of law, it is necessary to prepare a 10-year strategic plan with the help of the international agencies and organizations and in coordination with the government and the Kurdistan parliament,” they added.
“This authority should have its own budget so as to further guarantee the independence of the judicial authority … and the executive authority should not be allowed to interfere in the payment and budget of the judicial authority, including salaries of employees of the judicial authority, judges and public prosecutors,” the judges stated.
The group also proposed that the customs courts should be opened on the border crossings to control and prevent smuggling on the crossings.
They also suggested that the directorate of judicial police should be established through the ministry of interior in order to implement the courts’ orders.
“Without consultation and approval of the judicial authority and the ministry of justice, no laws should be adopted by the parliament regarding judges, public prosecutors, judicial authority and judicial institutions,” the group said.
The judges said the goal of the roadmap “is only to protect and strengthen the position of judicial authority in the Kurdistan Region.”
