Judicial Consultative Meeting (Erbil)
Title: Consultative Meeting Convened in Erbil to Review Criminal Procedure Guidelines and Fair Trial Standards
As part of a project supported by the American National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a consultative meeting was held in Erbil on April 18, 2026.
The session brought together 21 participants, including judges, public prosecutors, judicial investigators, and senior advisors. Attendees included the Director of the Office of the President of the Judicial Council, the Council’s project coordinator, a representative from the Independent Board of Human Rights, and members of the Bar Association Council. The primary objective was to review the draft manual “Procedures in Criminal Courts” and the research paper titled “Standards and Barriers to Fair Trials in the Criminal Courts of the Kurdistan Region.”
In the first segment of the meeting, retired Judge Rahim al-Ugaili presented the draft manual on criminal court procedures, after which participants shared their observations and technical feedback.
In the second segment, legal researcher Azad Waladbagi presented his study on the standards and obstacles facing fair trials in the criminal courts of the Kurdistan Region, providing a detailed analysis of the subject matter. The participants further enriched the consultative session with their comments and insights. It is worth noting that similar consultative meetings are scheduled to be held in the governorates of Sulaymaniyah and Duhok.
