AG Office begins stock-taking exercise for justice and legal sector

Attorney General’s Office (AG Office), on Tuesday, has announced the commencement of a stock-taking exercise for the justice and legal sector – aimed at collating all the reform proposals of the government, towards both sectors and assess the extent of its implementation.

AG Office's Communications DIrector Hussain Hassan said that the exercise also aims to identify hindrances to the implementation, and determine further assistance which may be required by authorities in bridging the gaps for implementation. 

Hussain said that the exercise will unfold in three phases. Under the first phase – a desk review will be conducted to organize and collate all the justice and legal sector reform proposals.

This document, he detailed, will form the core document for further discussions at the second phase – during which individual stakeholder engagements will be conducted to gauge extent of implementation, specific hindrances and propose any changes to the approach.

In the last, and third phase, Hussain said that all finding will be compiled to map a way forward in ensuring the maximum implementation of all reform proposals – explaining that the way forward is expected to highlight areas where further support can be sought from their multilateral and bilateral development partners. This will inform the meetings that will be held in the third phase with all multilateral and bilateral partners contributing towards the strengthening of the Maldives’ justice and legal sector.  

Hussain said that AG Office aim to complete the exercise by the end of next month – which is being carried out in collaboration with the Judicial Service Commission, Department of Judicial Administration, Judicial Academy, all courts, Prosecutor General’s Office, Bar Council of the Maldives and non-governmental organizations working within the system.

He stressed belief that the exercise would inform the process to identify further reforms in the justice and legal sector, and how resources can be better allocated to achieve these targets.