JLSI holds graduation ceremony

Manama, Dec. 12 (BNA): The Judicial and Legal Studies Institute (JLSI) held a graduation ceremony for the first batch of the criminal justice experts training programme which was implemented over one year and a half in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The celebration was held under the patronage of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa. The programme aimed to build national capabilities by honing skills and knowledge of the latest training methods in the legal field and reviewing the latest international standards in the criminal justice field. The Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister expressed happiness at the graduation of the first batch of the programme, hailing the efforts of JLSI in boosting legal skills and capabilities. He also lauded ongoing cooperation with UNODC, describing the ceremony as one of its dividends and stressing the importance of bolstering national, regional and international partnerships with relevant institutions. Representative of UNODC Judge Hatim Foued praised Bahrain's pioneering experience in this respect, describing the graduation ceremony as the dividend of institutional and strategic cooperation with the competent parties in the criminal justice field. President of JLSI Dr. Khalid Serri Seyam underscored the institute's commitment to continue backing the work of the experts and trainers committees which comprise specialists from all judicial, academic and professional fields. He pointed out that the celebration came two days after marking the International Human Rights Day which coincided this year with the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He affirmed that boosting justice is a key pillar in fostering human rights and achieving sustainable development. President of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) Maria Khouri underscored the importance of the programme in brushing up professional skills, promoting the culture of human rights, spreading awareness and going ahead with training and learning according to well-defined strategies. At the end of the celebration, the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister honoured the teams of experts and trainers and presented them with their end-of-programme certificates.