What is the APJRF?
The Asia Pacific Judicial Reform Forum (APJRF) is a network of 49 superior courts and justice sector agencies in the Asia Pacific Region who have joined together to contribute to judicial reform in the region. It resulted from the Manila Declaration on Judicial Reforms in 2005, which called for a forum to learn from judicial reform successes and failures.


What is the APJRF’s purpose?
The APJRF’s purpose is to create a network to support Asia Pacific jurisdictions committed to advancing judicial reform.


What projects is the APJRF working on?
The APJRF has received funding from the United Nations Democracy Fund to develop practical tools to help member countries implement judicial reform programs. The initial focus is on developing a publication for the Asia Pacific. This volume will discuss practical reform experiences, and develop good practice based on these, in a number of identified areas, including:

  • Implementation of judicial reform initiatives.
  • Promoting access to justice.
  • Ethics and accountability.
  • Case management.
  • Judicial education and skills development.

By basing the drafting process on the reform experiences of selected national judiciaries, the APJRF aims to ensure the know-how developed is relevant and meet the needs of its membership.
[more information on the Judicial Reform Handbook Project…]

 

APJRF Secretariat
The APJRF Secretariat is chaired by the Honourable Justice Kenneth Hayne AC. It consists of representatives from Australia, the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok. The members of the Secretariat have previously designed and implemented law and justice development assistance programmes in the Asia Pacific and beyond.


Partnerships
The APJRF is working in partnership with the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok. Many other organisations have indicated their support for this project, including the: Conference of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific; International Commission of Jurists; Transparency International; International Development Law Organisation; LAWASIA; International Organisation for Judicial Training; Asia Pacific Judicial Educators Forum; International Association of Women Judges; Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute; Australian Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia.


Results
The work of the APJRF will increase opportunities for judicial reform in the Asia Pacific Region, and develop collective solutions to meet challenges facing the judiciary by:

  • sharing knowledge on judicial reforms
  • creating a common vision for judicial development
  • supporting partnerships with organisations and institutions
    supporting human rights-based justice reforms
  • developing practical tools for successful judicial reform and supporting country level implementation.

    For more information contact us ...
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