Ramallah Ma’an – The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (MUSAWA) held a conference this morning, Tuesday, in the city of Ramallah, in which it reviewed the “reality of the Palestinian justice system on the eve of the war on Gaza” from the point of view of Palestinian society, according to what was revealed by the opinions of nine societal groups with expertise and connection to the justice system and its performance, according to what was stated in the seventh legal observatory report issued by the center periodically to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the official justice system.

Ibrahim Al-Barghouthi, the head of political and legal affairs at the Musawa Center, told Mada News that the conference was held to announce the results of the seventh legal observatory report, which Musawa usually issues every two years with the aim of clarifying the status of the justice system and its performance from the point of view of Palestinian society. This repo
rt covers nine societal categories, ‘official and civil,’ based on statistical data issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Al-Barghouthi added, ‘What distinguishes this report is its diagnosis of the situation of the justice system on the eve of the war on Gaza, and the results revealed by the report require decision-makers and representatives of Palestinian society to seriously address the results and address the shortcomings and weaknesses in this system, which expresses one of the three authorities of the state, especially in the absence of the Palestinian Legislative Council and in light of the urgent need to guarantee the right of citizens to access justice and resolve disputes between them as quickly as possible in a manner that preserves civil peace and protects the rights and dignity of the Palestinian citizen.’

In the same context, the Planning, Follow-up and Evaluation Officer at the Sawasya Program, Yousef Adwan, said: The importance of the report lies in providing a guide for ev
ery decision-maker on where the justice system is heading in order to develop the weaknesses and strengths in the justice system institutions.

In light of the systematic and comprehensive destruction of the justice system in Gaza, there is an urgent need for a national plan to reconsider the direction of reforming, developing and unifying the Palestinian justice system in Gaza and the West Bank, through a comprehensive national, societal and legal contribution to embody a professional and fair justice system capable of imposing the rule of law on all.

The Director General of the Qiyas Center for Polls and Survey Studies, Ayoub Ayoub, confirmed that all the surveys conducted by the center revolve around the citizens’ opinion of the official justice system at the present time, and the report sheds light on the most important results reached by the surveys in the report, whether in Gaza or the West Bank.

In turn, the General Supervisor of Al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, Attorney Hass
an Malihat, pointed out the importance of the legal observatory and its results in working to enhance the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary to ensure the protection of the rights of Palestinian citizens, including Bedouins, who still suffer from a lack of their basic rights to education, health, and adequate housing.

He added in the same context: The existence of an effective and impartial judicial authority and a justice system capable of imposing the rule of law on all, as the report recommends and the importance of which is demonstrated by the data referred to in the report, would guarantee a safe and decent life, equality and justice for all citizens without discrimination, including certainly the Bedouin communities that live between the hammer of the occupation and its measures and the anvil of government marginalization.

It is noteworthy that the Legal Observatory was prepared with the support of the Sawasya 3 programme of the United Nations Development Programme, and the press conferen
ce was organised with the support of the Canadian government.

Source: Maan News Agency