The OSCE Office in Baku launched a project comprising training courses for candidates to be judges today to support the judiciary's professional development and to develop curricula for a newly established Justice Academy, the OSCE reported. The Judicial Legal Council, which prepared a four-month training programme, and Azerbaijan’s Justice Academy, which will host the courses, support the project. The programme covers topics related to human rights, criminal law and civil law, with a special emphasis on the role of the judge in leading a fair trial.

"Professional legal training is crucial to establish a modern and efficient judiciary," said Ambassador Bilge Cankorel, the Head of the OSCE Office in Baku. "A comprehensive initial training for judges is particularly important to achieve an even greater impact in terms of capacity-building role of the judiciary."

The courses target 80 judge candidates who passed two rounds of written examinations and an oral exam. The training sessions combine lectures and practical exercises. The participants will discuss practical cases to learn how to make motivated decisions based on current legislation. Legal experts from the OSCE Office and international and national experts will conduct the course.