Algerian Judges Strengthen Dispute Resolution Skills

To upgrade the skills of judges dealing with commercial conflicts and disputes, Algeria’s Ministry of Justice has encouraged participation in a series of workshops led by the U.S. Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), with financial assistance from MEPI.

“Since 2002, 68 Algerian judges have been trained in the United States on intellectual property issues and 17 judges on commercial laws, while 170 others have attended seminars in Algeria conducted by American experts,” said Messaoud Boufercha, Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, said in his opening remarks at an Oct. 20-22, 2007, seminar on Adjudicating Disputes Related to the Financing of Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The seminar in Algiers was the fifth event of CLDP’s judicial capacity building program, which emphasizes the adjudication of commercial disputes arising during the life-cycle of SMEs.  The beneficiaries of this program, started two years ago, include Algerian judges from several Algerian cities who head commercial sections of different courts and who were selected for their expertise and potential to become trainers of other judges.

The seminar, chaired by U.S. Judge Elizabeth Strong, was designed to prepare the judges for a December workshop, in which they will be asked to adjudicate fictitious cases created by CLDP.  This method of instruction has proven successful in developing an understanding of key concepts and approaches to the complex topic of judicial dispute resolution.

“The United States strongly supports Algerian President Bouteflika’s decision to reform the legal sector aiming at strengthening the performance of the judiciary and improving relations between the justice and citizens,” said U.S. Ambassador to Algeria Robert Ford.