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[00:00:07] took the initiative to advance
[00:00:14] of Justice, and I will not hide
[00:00:21] Yes, from the second day of Institutional reform and modernization of
[00:00:26] a Master's degree in control of the courts and asked administrative systems are a significant path among the paths of state rebuilding and making it
[00:00:30] compatible with the developments the world is experiencing. The Ministry
[00:00:33] of Justice continues its diligent pursuit of judicial
[00:00:37] system reform by raising the efficiency
[00:00:41] goal. Secondly, in of applicants for the judiciary
[00:00:44] 2026, in and consolidates and modernizing the institutional structure and introducing digitization and raising the level
[00:00:47] of integrity and transparency, which
[00:00:50] contributes to addressing the legacy of the past
[00:00:54] wronged by some of those working and leads to achieving individual justice
[00:00:57] and community justice that Syrians
[00:01:00] aspire to. A new episode of
[00:01:03] your program "Syria Time." Welcome.
[00:01:14] application, in addition to a series of Yes, it
[00:01:27] Welcome, viewers, to a new episode of "Syria
[00:01:30] Time." In today's file, the Ministry
[00:01:34] of Justice seeks to reform the judicial system through
[00:01:38] judgment. Yes. Well, in this administrative modernization and raising competencies through
[00:01:40] judge graduation courses and increasing
[00:01:42] the legal tools available in this judicial centers in the governorates, as well as regulations
[00:01:47] into the Higher Institute of that ensure integrity and transparency. We will follow this report and then
[00:01:51] return to the discussion.
[00:01:53] culture, the training of judges. Since December
[00:01:54] more than 3000. Well, this massive 8, 2024,
[00:01:58] some time. By the grace of God Almighty, we are at the Syrian Ministry of Justice has faced a challenge
[00:02:01] that goes beyond restarting courts and judicial
[00:02:04] institutions to rebuilding the justice system
[00:02:09] based on on the foundations of independence, integrity, and the rule of law,
[00:02:12] and restoring the trust of Syrians in a judiciary
[00:02:15] whose practices under the former regime and its
[00:02:19] exceptional courts were among the main reasons for losing
[00:02:22] trust in it. In this context, the
[00:02:24] ministry is working to unify judicial
[00:02:28] standards, it is necessary to have a number of institutions in various Syrian regions, rehabilitate human cadres,
[00:02:32] develop judicial inspection,
[00:02:33] the citizen goes to court and and strengthen accountability mechanisms,
[00:02:36] in parallel with preparing a strategic vision
[00:02:40] correct, these are befitting of a judge and these are not extending until 2030, which
[00:02:43] aims to transition from restoring the work of institutions
[00:02:46] to institutional reform and sustainable
[00:02:49] transformation. At the level of transitional justice,
[00:02:52] addressing the legacy of
[00:02:56] with him means he cannot know exceptional rulings, customary orders, and persecution
[00:02:58] of citizens stands out,
[00:03:02] and we presented it to our partners in alongside prosecuting those responsible for violations through public
[00:03:05] staff and also carried out a series of trials that observe
[00:03:07] partners interested in this fair trial guarantees,
[00:03:08] and by that, we were able Association and other wants to, please come forward. And also, this defense rights, and protection of documents
[00:03:11] and evidence related
[00:03:14] system, our partner in to the crimes of the former regime. As for the path of service modernization, the
[00:03:18] ministry is moving towards digitizing procedures, archiving
[00:03:21] millions of judicial
[00:03:23] as in other institutions. This Of course, this indicates powers of attorney, launching electronic notification,
[00:03:25] and developing court infrastructure, in parallel
[00:03:31] them and, under the direction of with legislation and expanding dispute resolution methods to
[00:03:34] enhance judicial efficiency and create a
[00:03:37] they strengthened judicial inspection more stable environment for investment. Between the challenges
[00:03:41] of the judicial legacy and the requirements
[00:03:44] and they were appointed now in
[00:03:44] then we will release it, and it is also in of the new phase, the
[00:03:45] control the judicial bet remains on building an independent and effective
[00:03:48] judiciary that does not just uphold
[00:03:50] rights, but
[00:03:53] and they are now present in constitutes a fundamental pillar in rebuilding the state
[00:03:57] Ministry of Justice is praised for and consolidating citizen trust in
[00:04:00] its institutions. We delve deeper into this
[00:04:04] file and this topic
[00:04:06] the judge relies on. for this episode. I welcome Judge Dr. Samir Abdel
[00:04:10] laws to be consistent with Qader Al-Jaloul, Deputy Dean of the Higher Institute of Judiciary. Welcome,
[00:04:14] Dr. Samir. Welcome to Syria
[00:04:21] gratefully, under the direction
[00:04:21] laws and changing and amending them to conform with
[00:04:23] revolution, they would say a judge by the Ministry of Justice to reform the judicial system in Syria.
[00:04:26] We will start by looking at this strategic
[00:04:28] develop them to be compatible and keep pace with vision, the independence
[00:04:30] Truly, we know from
[00:04:30] does not have judicial of the judiciary, and the development of judicial inspection.
[00:04:33] First, I would like to
[00:04:35] but they chose to defect ask you about the features of this vision and what its
[00:04:38] message is. Yes, good evening to you and to the esteemed viewers. Good
[00:04:42] Yes, we may witness this, God willing, in evening. Welcome. to whom we extend our full greetings for this Thank you for this kind invitation
[00:04:45] from you to shed light on the efforts of the Ministry of Justice in judicial
[00:04:49] reform. First, we must shed light on
[00:04:52] the idea that the former regime was very
[00:04:56] keen on establishing the judiciary
[00:04:59] for its personal interests and to work on legalizing corruption
[00:05:03] and so on. However, by the grace of God Almighty, and after the victory of the revolution
[00:05:06] and the liberation of this country, and since the eighth day of
[00:05:10] December 2024,
[00:05:13] by the grace of God Almighty, the Ministry of
[00:05:16] Justice, like the rest of the ministries,
[00:05:19] this country. Its vision was to build
[00:05:23] an independent, impartial,
[00:05:25] swift, and effective
[00:05:28] judiciary that aims to strengthen the relationship
[00:05:32] between the citizen and society, to strengthen the relationship between this homeland
[00:05:36] and the wounded or aggrieved citizen due to the corruption
[00:05:40] of the regime. The message was embodied
[00:05:43] in developing the institutional judicial
[00:05:47] and legislative institution in a way that achieves
[00:05:50] the rule of law, strengthens the rule of law,
[00:05:55] justice and fairness in this country. Yes, especially also restoring
[00:05:58] trust or building trust in this
[00:06:02] judicial system that the former regime turned into a corrupt
[00:06:05] system and tailored it to the standards according
[00:06:08] to its previous defunct vision. The judicial
[00:06:12] inspection also transformed in 2026
[00:06:16] from a traditional inspection body to a tool for professional
[00:06:19] oversight and accountability. What is the role of the newly established
[00:06:22] complaints chamber?
[00:06:25] is good to shed light on the inspection
[00:06:29] department in general. Of course, previously, inspection was
[00:06:33] a tool and a drawn sword that was in the hands
[00:06:36] of the ministry, the ministry of the former regime, over the heads of judges
[00:06:40] so that they would carry out its orders
[00:06:44] and requirements and those of its repressive
[00:06:46] security agencies. However, by the grace of God Almighty, after the liberation, there was
[00:06:50] an inspection department, and this department was activated in an effective
[00:06:54] and distinguished way to serve the judicial system well,
[00:06:57] and the Ministry of Justice has been striving for that since the
[00:07:01] day of liberation. It was able to establish several
[00:07:04] points to rely on in order to achieve
[00:07:08] the stability of the justice system, and among them was the complaints
[00:07:10] office. Previously, a citizen would come from
[00:07:14] distant governorates or from Damascus governorate or any governorate to the Ministry
[00:07:18] of Justice to the complaints office and file a specific
[00:07:21] complaint against one of the employees in the judicial
[00:07:24] system. Days, weeks, months,
[00:07:28] and perhaps more than a year would pass without reaching
[00:07:31] a real result for the complaint he filed.
[00:07:34] But now, by the grace of God Almighty, we have shortened these procedures,
[00:07:38] we have shortened this bureaucracy, we have created
[00:07:41] a complaints center, where there is a central
[00:07:44] judicial inspector judge who listens to the citizen,
[00:07:48] listens to his problem, follows up on some related
[00:07:52] procedures, and gives the correct guidance. Previously, a
[00:07:55] citizen might come and file a complaint, and it
[00:07:59] might be, for example, a lawsuit that needs an appeal or
[00:08:03] a cassation, and he does not know, and the absence of a lawyer
[00:08:08] the correct procedure. So here, in this complaints office, a
[00:08:12] judicial inspector processes this complaint and tells him whether to contact the bar association or to
[00:08:16] do so. So there is now follow-up
[00:08:20] and guidance that serves the citizen and strengthens the relationship
[00:08:23] between the citizen and the Ministry of Justice. The complaints office plays an important
[00:08:27] role in this area. It was able to look at
[00:08:30] more than 1700 complaints in 2025 approximately.
[00:08:36] that the Ministry of Justice has taken the decision. This is the outcome of the complaints
[00:08:39] processed to date: 1700 complaints for the year 2000, only in one
[00:08:43] year, 1700 complaints approximately were submitted
[00:08:47] by citizens, exactly. Citizens submitted
[00:08:50] complaints to the judicial inspection department. Of course, there are
[00:08:54] justifications for this number. Of course, there is no doubt that this
[00:08:57] number is large, and in previous years, this number was not recorded, but
[00:09:01] there is openness from the Ministry of Justice that it listens to citizens,
[00:09:04] that it has made a decision to listen to people,
[00:09:08] to follow up on their affairs, to follow up on their complaints.
[00:09:11] So there is a culture of complaining. And when this complete number was submitted, by the grace of God Almighty,
[00:09:15] more than 1200 complaints were completed, reviewed,
[00:09:18] resolved, and finished, and the rest are in progress. This was in this year
[00:09:22] 2025, and many of them were completed during the beginning of
[00:09:27] work establishes a relationship between the citizen
[00:09:31] and the Ministry of Justice. So now, when a citizen comes and listens to a judge
[00:09:35] and a central judicial inspector, he feels confident, whereas previously he would go to
[00:09:38] the court clerk, the court clerk
[00:09:43] experience, so he tells him that it has been filed or
[00:09:46] processed, and that was it. So when we respect people, we respect citizens,
[00:09:50] this is a positive point, and since we have opened the topic and talked about
[00:09:53] the inspection department, it is our right to mention a detail, and I will not elaborate
[00:09:57] that they were able,
[00:10:00] in addition to opening the important complaints office in this area, that they
[00:10:04] were able to adopt a preventive approach.
[00:10:08] So they listed or surveyed all the mistakes that
[00:10:11] judges may have made previously. So they collected
[00:10:15] them and presented them to the inspection department, the
[00:10:18] legislative department, to codify them, and then they issued or are working to
[00:10:22] issue a guiding manual through which the judge
[00:10:25] learns that this behavior is correct and this behavior is wrong, and this procedure is correct
[00:10:29] and this procedure is wrong. And this is what the judicial inspection
[00:10:33] is praised for. Well, very good. We are talking then about
[00:10:36] a tool for professional oversight. You also mentioned
[00:10:40] 1,700 complaints in one year,
[00:10:43] 2025. The culture of complaints. There are two
[00:10:46] parties, the complainants and the witnesses.
[00:10:50] How are they protected? Yes, of course, there is no
[00:10:53] doubt that in previous periods, some
[00:10:57] judges made mistakes. These mistakes were related
[00:11:00] to integrity, legal errors, and so on.
[00:11:04] So there are aggrieved parties. And despite the
[00:11:06] Ministry of Justice having opened the door to everyone,
[00:11:10] we listen to your complaints through the legally
[00:11:14] available means now, some fear they may have been
[00:11:19] in the judicial system, but we pledge to protect them
[00:11:22] by not mentioning names,
[00:11:26] especially if there are witnesses who fear for themselves
[00:11:29] that so-and-so was taking bribes,
[00:11:32] so-and-so was behaving inappropriately, so-and-so
[00:11:35] was engaging in corruption. So we protect witnesses
[00:11:38] and we protect complaints. Now, no one can, when
[00:11:42] a citizen files a complaint,
[00:11:45] no other judge can contact him or
[00:11:48] extort him, asking "Why did you file
[00:11:51] a complaint against me? Why this?" He cannot use the repressive
[00:11:55] security agencies against him at all. We are in a country of citizenship,
[00:11:58] each has his right, he can assert his right and
[00:12:02] defend his right fully
[00:12:04] with all
[00:12:07] country. Yes, it is enough that the name, as
[00:12:10] you mentioned, is a culture, it is a culture of complaining, of course, in
[00:12:14] the path of justice, for sure. In the path
[00:12:18] of achievements, where have you reached today in completing the
[00:12:21] Judicial Code of Conduct? This is one. The
[00:12:25] guiding manual for errors and the draft amendment to the Judicial
[00:12:28] Authority Law No. 98
[00:12:30] of 1961. Exactly. Of course, the Code
[00:12:34] of Conduct had circumstances for its creation
[00:12:38] or for the creation of this code. Yes, by nature,
[00:12:41] as I explained to you a little while ago, the Ministry
[00:12:44] of Justice, when it aspires to
[00:12:48] develop the conduct, develop the judicial cadre,
[00:12:52] does not only want it to be a punitive tool, but rather
[00:12:55] a guiding tool, a guiding manual, but rather
[00:12:58] a list of information and a list of procedures, a list
[00:13:02] of behaviors, these are correct and these are not
[00:13:05] befitting of a judge. So we the Ministry of Justice has taken it upon itself
[00:13:09] to guide the judge to the positive
[00:13:12] things to adhere to and to clarify to him the
[00:13:15] negative things to refrain from. We have achieved
[00:13:18] that, so the legislative department has drafted
[00:13:21] a draft and we presented it to the judges
[00:13:27] the judicial system, the Bar
[00:13:32] matter and interested in this matter.
[00:13:35] And we have conducted several rounds
[00:13:38] and we have held a conference on the
[00:13:42] Code of Conduct, and it is now in its final
[00:13:45] stage. In addition to that, as I mentioned a little while ago, the inspection
[00:13:49] department has surveyed all the errors that judges have committed,
[00:13:52] and then it presented
[00:13:56] the Minister of Justice, formed a specific committee
[00:13:59] to clarify the legal basis
[00:14:02] for any error that the judge may have committed previously or committed previously,
[00:14:06] clarifying the legal basis, and
[00:14:09] its final stages, in addition to
[00:14:12] amending the Judicial Authority
[00:14:14] Law.
[00:14:17] Here I speak generally. Please.
[00:14:19] Previous laws that were established
[00:14:23] previously took into account a specific situation
[00:14:27] and a specific environment, and they were appropriate at one time. However,
[00:14:30] with the passage of time, it was necessary to reconsider these
[00:14:35] the current reality, to keep pace with the current reality. However,
[00:14:39] the former regime was keen not to make
[00:14:43] any efforts in developing
[00:14:46] reality, so that it would always be in control of the country through
[00:14:50] the tool of the corrupt judiciary in its time. Also,
[00:14:54] you have set a strategic plan extending until 2030.
[00:14:56] I will focus on the integration
[00:15:00] of the three phases of this plan, starting from restoring institutions
[00:15:04] in 2025 to institutional reform
[00:15:07] in 2026, reaching transformation and sustainability
[00:15:11] until the announced year 2030. Always for any
[00:15:15] project, we do not look at it with a one-day
[00:15:18] and one-night evaluation. It is necessary to set a strategic plan, and even if it is long-term,
[00:15:22] through it we can reap the fruits. Excellent.
[00:15:25] And this is the nature of the Ministry of Justice, as it believes
[00:15:29] in long-term goals, it believes in setting a
[00:15:32] strategic plan, it believes in having a practical
[00:15:35] executive plan. So it is not wise
[00:15:38] to impose or to set a plan that
[00:15:42] from the second day of liberation, it will achieve
[00:15:44] sustainability and achieve swift justice and so on.
[00:15:48] But it took several paths, or three paths. The first
[00:15:52] path, the path
[00:15:54] of protecting courts.
[00:15:58] liberation, it announced that it had taken
[00:16:02] judges and those working in the judiciary
[00:16:05] to carry out their work so that the citizen can
[00:16:08] return to his court, review
[00:16:12] his file, and be close to his rights that he seeks.
[00:16:15] And here we achieved an important
[00:16:18] the second stage, in
[00:16:21] reform, when we controlled the issue of courts and took control of them
[00:16:25] and protected them from all forms
[00:16:28] of aggression, it was necessary to rearrange
[00:16:31] the papers in terms of judges,
[00:16:34] the judicial cadre, the administrative
[00:16:38] cadre, infrastructure, and so on. So it was necessary to move
[00:16:42] towards reform. So the Minister, the Supreme Judicial Council,
[00:16:46] and the Ministry of Justice as a whole
[00:16:48] moved
[00:16:50] to dismantle or analyze the tools of corruption that the
[00:16:54] regime relied on. They found that the regime relied on
[00:16:58] its method, which is that the salary is low, the
[00:17:02] pension salary for the judge is low. So they were able to raise
[00:17:06] the living standard of the judge. They also found that
[00:17:09] the judge previously feared the repressive
[00:17:12] security agencies, so they cut off communication from all repressive
[00:17:16] security agencies, or they cut off, sorry, they cut off communication or
[00:17:19] pressure from any security agency or executive
[00:17:22] body on this judicial system.
[00:17:25] So the judge's relationship is directly with the Supreme Judicial Council. Excellent.
[00:17:29] He achieved independence, he achieved
[00:17:31] integrity. They found that some judges
[00:17:35] in previous periods had made some
[00:17:39] mistakes, so they provided continuous
[00:17:41] training. So they set a plan and they set a program
[00:17:45] for training judges to develop them professionally,
[00:17:48] technically, scientifically, and academically, of course,
[00:17:51] within a program of priorities. Yes, I do not say all
[00:17:54] judges in Syria, but they started with a ladder of priorities when they paid
[00:17:58] attention to this aspect. Also, they found that when
[00:18:02] we always strive for competitive
[00:18:05] judges so that we ensure that
[00:18:11] does not find congestion, finds that appointments are close,
[00:18:15] finds that he is close to his right that he seeks. So they also
[00:18:18] provided an increase in the number of
[00:18:22] judges in courts through a program,
[00:18:26] a program based on which a specific number of judges arrived
[00:18:29] and reached the courts. They also worked hard on the administrative
[00:18:33] side. They did not just focus on judges, their training, and
[00:18:38] increasing their number, but rather they turned towards the administrative
[00:18:43] qualification, training, and development procedures for those
[00:18:46] in charge, in addition to surveying and identifying the places
[00:18:50] where we need specialized cadres, so they
[00:18:53] attracted them. Of course, anticipating
[00:18:56] the existence of centers that need
[00:18:59] highly qualified individuals, they also
[00:19:02] contracted with them. They saw that administrators'
[00:19:06] salaries were also low, so they also worked
[00:19:08] on the same path. They strengthened
[00:19:12] written inspection,
[00:19:15] of judges. They were able, through written
[00:19:18] inspection tours and judicial inspection, to refer and
[00:19:23] staff as much as possible.
[00:19:26] In this way, when we look at
[00:19:29] the scene, we find that reform has truly appeared. They did not
[00:19:33] stop there. They also believe
[00:19:36] that justice is not complete only with the presence of a judge, but rather
[00:19:39] there must be a legislative structure that
[00:19:44] The judge does not create the law, but rather he
[00:19:48] applies the existing law. So they turned towards
[00:19:51] legislative reform. So there is a legislative
[00:19:55] department now that is
[00:19:59] of the Minister and the Supreme Judicial Council, studying some
[00:20:02] laws and working to
[00:20:06] the current reality.
[00:20:09] So we are still in the process of reform. Everything you mentioned, mashallah, means great and tremendous efforts
[00:20:13] in the process of reform, in the process of reform. Yes, we are moving towards
[00:20:16] development and transformation.
[00:20:20] 2027 and beyond,
[00:20:22] up to the announced year 2030. Yes,
[00:20:26] and beyond 2030, God willing. Yes, the word "reform" is not
[00:20:29] insignificant, and perhaps there are other efforts you did
[00:20:32] not mention. Well, in
[00:20:36] the same context, unifying judicial institutions and rebuilding
[00:20:39] human resources. How did
[00:20:42] the Ministry of Justice succeed in unifying
[00:20:45] the Syrian judicial body? You know, it merged
[00:20:48] the courts of Idlib and northeast
[00:20:52] Syria with the Syrian judicial body. How did you succeed?
[00:20:56] I will not hide from you that this
[00:20:58] was one of the important stations in the history of the Ministry
[00:21:04] from you that it was one of the wonderful experiences for the Ministry
[00:21:07] of Justice at the level of being able to deal
[00:21:11] with specific regions that followed specific laws
[00:21:14] that were different, with judges who were trained
[00:21:16] in criminal procedures, different trial procedures
[00:21:20] from others. So they started by
[00:21:23] extending Syrian law to
[00:21:26] all Syrian courts. So they
[00:21:30] unified the laws and unified
[00:21:33] trial procedures, and they
[00:21:36] when they carried out this unification, we solved
[00:21:40] half of the problem. Yes, they did
[00:21:44] after that
[00:21:46] by attracting judges working in some
[00:21:50] courts in Idlib and elsewhere, and they
[00:21:53] trained them outside the governorate so that
[00:21:56] they could interact
[00:21:58] with judges,
[00:22:01] learn about the procedures through practical
[00:22:04] training courses that were held, in addition to
[00:22:08] a series of practical applications that were practiced
[00:22:11] theoretically and practically. Through this, any judge in
[00:22:15] Syria was able to learn about the unified
[00:22:18] procedures. So now, by the grace of
[00:22:20] God Almighty, any case presented in Idlib or presented in
[00:22:23] Syria takes the same course and takes the same
[00:22:28] path, were there challenges in the
[00:22:31] integration process? There might be challenges regarding
[00:22:35] a specific time period related to the dissemination
[00:22:38] of the law, the dissemination of legal
[00:22:43] This required
[00:22:48] the end of this stage. We are now, as I told
[00:22:51] you a little while ago,
[00:22:54] we are now in Syria, any
[00:22:58] issue raised in Idlib, Hama, or
[00:23:01] Damascus takes the same procedures and reaches the same verdict
[00:23:05] according to Syrian law. Yes. Okay, I will go to an important
[00:23:08] point: judges and lawyers
[00:23:11] who defected from the former
[00:23:14] regime. What steps have been taken
[00:23:17] to do justice to these judges
[00:23:21] and lawyers and restore them to
[00:23:24] their positions? What is the total number of judges
[00:23:27] on the bench today compared to before
[00:23:31] the liberation?
[00:23:33] Of course, here
[00:23:36] two decrees were issued. Two decrees were issued regarding the return
[00:23:40] of judges to their work
[00:23:43] and the return of state lawyers to their work. Of course, the
[00:23:46] number of judges was approximately 100 or, yes,
[00:23:50] or three defecting judges. A decree was issued
[00:23:53] for their return to their work,
[00:23:58] to preserve their right to return and work, in addition
[00:24:02] to the Ministry of Justice considering that their
[00:24:05] years of absence and years of defection were
[00:24:08] as if they were performing their duties
[00:24:13] number, 103 judges, is the total number of defecting judges in Syria,
[00:24:17] or the decree that included these
[00:24:21] of course, they are the defecting judges, but there might be an annex that includes one
[00:24:24] or two judges, my memory fails me, and I cannot confirm an approximate figure.
[00:24:28] Yes, yes, approximately, and there are approximately
[00:24:31] 11 state lawyers who also had a
[00:24:34] law issued for their return to the ranks
[00:24:38] of state litigation department lawyers, and in the same vein,
[00:24:42] and since we talked about the return
[00:24:45] of defectors, and what the
[00:24:47] in this matter, as they held a ceremony honoring
[00:24:51] the defecting judges, the free
[00:24:54] judges who refused to be on the
[00:24:58] side of the former regime, they refused to be a cheap tool,
[00:25:02] and this aspect was very important, very important indeed. Yes,
[00:25:05] it truly broke the back of the regime from the
[00:25:08] judicial side, meaning in the years of the Syrian
[00:25:13] defecting from the regime, it was a very big statement, meaning it would
[00:25:17] make headlines in the media at the time.
[00:25:20] colleagues who perhaps reached high ranks in the judiciary,
[00:25:25] from the regime, and there are people
[00:25:29] stance. We extend our full greetings to them from Syria
[00:25:32] Time. You said that the time period during
[00:25:35] which they were away from their
[00:25:39] positions was counted for them. What does that mean? What was
[00:25:42] counted? Of course, there are always degrees
[00:25:45] of promotion and degrees of, I am speaking
[00:25:48] legally. Yes, of course, when
[00:25:52] a judge defects, of course, he was
[00:25:55] criminalized legally.
[00:25:57] He was deprived of his rights,
[00:26:00] and in addition to that, he was treated
[00:26:04] specially negatively. So, by God's grace, we put him in his
[00:26:07] place and gave him the rank and grade he deserved
[00:26:11] without wasting any year of the years he spent
[00:26:14] in a state of defection from the former regime.
[00:26:17] So, Your Honor, you are the Deputy Dean of
[00:26:20] the Higher Institute of Judiciary. This
[00:26:24] Higher Institute of Judiciary is witnessing a qualitative leap by raising its certificate to
[00:26:28] Judicial Qualification and Specialization. This is what we read. How were
[00:26:32] the selection competitions for new judges
[00:26:36] conducted, and the attraction of lawyers also in cooperation with
[00:26:39] the Bar Association? The truth is that the issue
[00:26:43] of attracting judges is an important
[00:26:47] matter. Always,
[00:26:50] we notice in developed countries and neighboring
[00:26:52] countries some experiences that we visited, we find
[00:26:56] there is keenness in selecting judges so that they are
[00:27:00] of specific qualifications.
[00:27:03] Integrity, impartiality, and independence. They possess scientific
[00:27:06] competence. Truly,
[00:27:08] with
[00:27:10] full transparency, the Higher Institute
[00:27:14] of Judiciary opened a competition to receive
[00:27:16] judges, and more than 3000
[00:27:20] competitors applied. A huge number, a huge number.
[00:27:24] But this huge number,
[00:27:27] we must discover among them
[00:27:31] the most competent.
[00:27:35] There were written tests, and then oral tests,
[00:27:39] and then personal interviews. And after
[00:27:42] a series of tests and interviews,
[00:27:46] the number of those accepted
[00:27:50] Judiciary was 110 students.
[00:27:53] Students out of 30,
[00:27:56] turnout, were you surprised by it? We were truly surprised
[00:27:59] by it. How did you interpret
[00:28:03] it? When we examined the scene, the former regime,
[00:28:06] The previous regime used to choose judges arbitrarily,
[00:28:11] favoritism and nepotism, based on that. But now we are before
[00:28:15] everyone, especially us, the
[00:28:19] 110 judges now from all
[00:28:22] governorates of Syria, from all religions, from
[00:28:25] all graduates of the Faculty of Law
[00:28:29] of any university there, exactly.
[00:28:34] And there is participation from all geographical areas of the country completely.
[00:28:36] This was not available previously.
[00:28:40] Certainly, there were specific names. That is, the judicial institutions,
[00:28:43] in their general framework, used to be tailor-made. So what
[00:28:47] about judges and employees and a sensitive center? Of course, it is
[00:28:51] a very sensitive center, and it committed crimes. So he was keen that
[00:28:54] there would be judges whom
[00:28:57] they wanted. Of course, there is a section, and there is a section that may reach
[00:29:00] its efficiency previously, to be fair, I mean. But
[00:29:04] now we are before everyone. We are equal in the highest degree of transparency. Whoever
[00:29:09] matter we completed in the Bar Association. We communicated with
[00:29:13] our partner in the judicial
[00:29:16] justice in this country, the Bar Association, and we asked them to nominate
[00:29:20] lawyers for us to be eligible for the judiciary. So more
[00:29:24] than 600 candidates applied. 600 candidates, of course.
[00:29:27] And after the written and oral exams and personal
[00:29:30] interviews, and after
[00:29:34] all the studies and all the exams
[00:29:37] they conducted, 190
[00:29:40] judges out of 600
[00:29:43] succeeded,
[00:29:47] the courts, and they were honored last month.
[00:29:50] And now they are now present in
[00:29:55] the courts practicing their work side by side
[00:29:59] with their brothers. They relieve the burden on
[00:30:02] the courts and establish justice and fairness as we took
[00:30:06] a pledge and covenant from them. Very good. So this is for
[00:30:10] judges and lawyers, the technical and administrative staff. Also,
[00:30:13] the Ministry of Justice launched a competition to attract this technical and administrative staff.
[00:30:17] A huge number also applied, 62,000 citizens
[00:30:20] applied to this competition. How
[00:30:23] do you ensure transparency and competitiveness in sorting
[00:30:26] and selecting competitors? 62,000.
[00:30:29] Yes, a huge number.
[00:30:33] The truth is, Syria deserves a lot. Yes.
[00:30:36] And the people of Syria have goodness in them. And the people of Syria
[00:30:40] want to participate in building this country. And we open
[00:30:43] our arms and our chests and our hearts to everyone who wants to
[00:30:46] participate in building this country and participate in building this nation
[00:30:49] and strengthen its judicial system and strengthen its justice
[00:30:52] system, and participate
[00:30:55] in it, whether as a judge or as an administrator. Indeed, more than 6,000
[00:30:59] administrative competitors applied.