On 2 July 2024, under the patronage of Dr. Khalid Shwani, Minister of Justice of Iraq, the Investigator Organization for Supporting Rule of Law and Democracy (IOL), in partnership with Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) and Public Aid Organization (PAO), and with financial support from the European Union (EU), organized a dialogue session at the Al-Mansour Melia Hotel in Baghdad to follow up on and discuss the amendment of Juvenile Welfare Law No. (76) of 1983, particularly the proposed change to the age of criminal responsibility from completion of 9 years to completion of 11 years.
The session was attended by Dr. Burhan Al-Qaisi, Deputy Minister of Justice, as well as a number of parliamentarians, judges, members of the Public Prosecution, general directors, and officials from relevant institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and the Independent Human Rights Commission. Representatives of several international and local organizations, including NPA, PAO, UNAMI, UNICEF, and IILHR.
At the opening of the session, Dr. Ahmed Miran, Head of the Investigator Organization, welcomed the participants and outlined the objectives and significance of the session. Dr. Burhan Al-Qaisi, Deputy Minister of Justice, then delivered remarks expressing his support for the issue and commending the Investigator Organization for its efforts in this field.
Mr. Abdul Hadi Abdul Reda, Assistant Director General of the Juvenile Rehabilitation Directorate, subsequently presented an overview of the process of amending Juvenile Welfare Law No. (76) of 1983, with particular focus on the proposed amendment to the age of criminal responsibility.
Mr. Azad Waladbagi, EU Project Coordinator, then presented the project’s content, objectives, and activities. This was followed by remarks from Mr. Muhammad Rashid, Assistant Director of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Justice, who presented the substance of the amendment to the Juvenile Welfare Law, prepared with the support of the Investigator Organization within the framework of the EU project.
The participants expressed their support and appreciation for these efforts and for the process of amending the law. It was also noted that the draft amendment to the Juvenile Welfare Law is currently under consideration by the State Council of Iraq, while the participating parliamentarians expressed their readiness to support this step once the draft law reaches the Iraqi Council of Representatives.