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Judicial Reform:
Strengthening Legal and
Judicial Institutions
A Learning Program for
The Kingdom of Morocco
March – May, 2006
WORLD BANK INSTITUTE
Promoting knowledge and learning for a better world
THE WORLD BANK
MINISTERIO
DE JUSTICIA
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Organized by the World Bank Institute in cooperation with
the Ministry of Finance and Privatization of the Kingdom of Morocco,
the World Bank's Legal Vice Presidency, Public Sector Governance Unit
(PRMPS) and MENA region.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Finance of Spain
Summary modernization, efficiency, use of per-
formance indicators and other key
The proposed learning program con- reform issues that institutions similar
sists of both face-to-face and distan- to the AJR have dealt with. The first
ce learning components that will session will take place in Rabat on
connect representatives from the March 1, 2006; this session will be
Agence Judiciaire du Royaume followed by complementary sessions
(AJR) of the Kingdom of Morocco on May 4 and 5, 2006.
and other relevant Public Officials in
Rabat with experts from various Introduction
countries including Egypt, France,
Italy, and Spain. The experts will Legal and judicial reform is essential
share comparative experiences and for better governance and highlights
practices from their respective the necessity to further develop trai-
countries and engage in dialogue ning of the legal and judicial profes-
with the participants regarding sion, streamline case management
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and upgrade the legal and judicial Objectives:
infrastructure. Ineffective legal
frameworks and institutions are The AJR is the litigation arm of
perceived as critical impediments to Morocco's Ministry of Finance and
poverty alleviation due to their nega- Privatization. As such, it also plays
tive impact on the investment clima- an important role providing legal
te and their tendency to reinforce advisory services to government
the exclusion of poor and marginali- administrations and public entities in
zed people from participation in various fields of the law. Reviewing
development. and strengthening the role of AJR
Public sector efficiency and falls within the Government's efforts
improved governance constitute key to promote an impartial and effective
elements of the Kingdom of legal and judicial system.
Morocco's reform program aiming at The objective of the course is to
promoting economic and social provide participants with useful and
development, and underline the practical tools and instruments that
country assistance strategy adopted can be used to maximize the effecti-
by the Bank in 2005. The learning veness of their respective role in the
program, which was prepared in the institution and to contribute in revie-
context of the on-going dialogue bet- wing the role of AJR towards greater
ween the Ministry of Finance and efficiency, responsiveness and per-
Privatization of the Kingdom of formance. In particular, the informa-
Morocco and the World Bank on the tion that will be given to the partici-
role of AJR, falls directly within the pants on the use of performance
scope of this strategy. indicators and other appropriate
reform instruments as used in coun-
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tries with comparable institutions, in Morocco and their counter-
will be examined in light of AJR's parts in other countries;
specific role and needs. 3) The design and implementation
More generally, the course aims of indicators to measure perfor-
to facilitate the sharing of in-country mance of legal and judicial insti-
experiences on the improvement of tutions.
the efficiency and effectiveness of the
legal and judicial sector; in this Methodology:
regard, the respective experiences of
Egypt, France, Italy and Spain will be The course will be delivered both via
particularly illustrative. face-to-face and video-conference.
By the end of the course, the The first session will be a one day
participants will have received, dis- face-to-face session taking place on
cussed and analyzed information on March 1, 2006 in Rabat, during which
the following issues: experts from Egypt, France, Italy, and
Spain will present experiences from
1) The promotion of public sector their respective countries.
efficiency, including streamlining Specifically the program will benefit
of procedures; from the experience of the
2) New tools and strategies used in Avvocatura Dello Stato, which is the
similar agencies in other coun- Italian equivalent of the Moroccan
tries, particularly Egypt, Italy, AJR, as well as of its Egyptian and
France and Spain, in the promo- French equivalent: the Hayat Kadaya
tion of institutional reform, achie- Addawla and the Direction des
ved by the direct exchange of Affaires Juridiques (the Agence
information between participants Judiciaire du Trésor). The program
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will also rely on assistance from the the efficiency and effectiveness of
Spanish Consejo General del Poder the AJR and develop tools and indi-
Judicial, which has functions similar cators to evaluate and strengthen its
to those of the AJR in the Spanish performance.
legal context. The program has been designed
During the session on March 1, in collaboration with the AJR, the
2006 participants will be expected to World Bank Institute, the World Bank
identify the key areas they would like Country Office in Morocco (MNCMA),
to focus on during the subsequent the World Bank Legal Department
phase of the program. The session (LEGMS) and the World Bank
on March 1 will be followed by two Director for Maghreb countries.
sessions on May 4 and 5, during
which participants will engage in in- The three main topics to be cove-
depth discussions with experts from red during the program are:
the aforementioned countries and
others as well, including a member 1. Modernization of the AJR
of the European Commission for the a. The organizational structure
Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and b. Human resources
Abogacía General del Estado of c. Information systems
Spain. d. Communication
Contents/modules 2. Capacity building
a. How can the capacity of a
This activity has been designed to judicial institution be strengt-
explore various options to increase hened?
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b. In the case of the AJR, what it is confronted with (decentra-
are the possibilities? lization outsourcing its servi-
3. Development of performance ces, promoting legal advice
indicators services and alternate dispute
a. Theoretical overview of indi- resolution mechanisms, etc.)?
cators to be applied How can the institution be
b. Experiences from similar insti- more cost effective?
tutions • How can the AJR implement
c. The current situation in the systematic and continuous trai-
AJR ning to increase the efficiency
d. Reflect on appropriate indica- of its staff? What kind of orga-
tors for the AJR nizational restructuring can
increase the efficiency and
On March 1, 2006, the objective of effectiveness of the AJR?
the program will be to facilitate an • How can case load manage-
open discussion about key issues ment reform decrease backlog
such as: and improve the functioning of
the AJR? (e.g., refocus the
• How can performance indica- AJR's areas of intervention
tors be developed and adopted given the broad scope of legal
to measure performance and areas that it currently covers)
monitor the impact of reforms? • The AJR's role in Alternative
• How can the AJR be moderni- Dispute Resolution mecha-
zed and upgraded to increase nisms
its efficiency, given its mandate • What is the role of the AJR in
and the strategic choices that protecting the interests of the
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State in the various fields in Juridiques au Ministère de
which it is involved? l'Economie, des Finances et de
l'Industrie) France
Participants: • Mr. Wassim Harb (Professor at
the Faculty of Law of the
• Staff from the Agence Lebanese University), Lebanon
Judiciaire du Royaume • Mr. Mohamed Mattar
• Other relevant officials from (Professor Johns Hopkins
government agencies that University/ Georgetown
work with the AJR University Law Center), USA
• Ms. Cinzia Melillo,
Experts (in alphabetical order): (Avvocatura Generale dello
Statu), Italy
• Mr. Hossam Abdel Azim, • Magistrado Mr. Celso
(President of the Egyptian Rodríguez Padrón (Secretary
State Lawsuits Authority) General of the Consejo
Egypt General del Poder Judicial)
• Mr. Ignazio Francesco Spain
Caramazza, (Vice Avvocato • Mr. Luis Gonzaga Serrano de
Generale dello Stato) Italy Toledo (Abogado del Estado —
• Ms. Wally Ferrante, (Member Jefe del Servicio Jurídico del
of the Italian Arbitration Estado en Ciudad Real), Spain
Association and Avvocatura • Mr. Alan Uzelac, European
Generale dello Stato) Italy Commission for the Efficiency
• Mr. Jérome Grand d'Esnon, of Justice-CEPEJ
(Director of des Affaires
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Course Schedule and Locations France, Italy and Spain, as well as
the European Commission for the
March 1, 2006, May 4 and May 5, Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), most
2006. During the sessions the partici- of the experts will travel to Morocco
pants will meet in Rabat engage in and a few will join via videoconfe-
dialogue with experts form Egypt, rence.
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