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Viewing cable 04MANAMA845, LETTER FROM AMBASSADOR TO JUSTICE O'CONNOR

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
04MANAMA845 2004-06-05 15:32 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Manama
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS MANAMA 000845 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AND MEPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL BA MEPI
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM AMBASSADOR TO JUSTICE O'CONNOR 
 
 
ΒΆ1.  Following is the text of a letter the Ambassador sent 
directly to Justice O'Connor. 
 
Begin text: 
 
June 5, 2004 
 
Dear Justice O,Connor: 
 
As I prepare to leave Manama to serve as Counselor for 
Political-Military Affairs in Baghdad, I wanted to update you 
on judicial reform in Bahrain.  You once told me that you did 
not want the Arab Judicial Forum (AJF) to be another 
&one-off event.8  I can say with pleasure that judicial 
reform in Bahrain has hit the ground running. 
 
Thanks to the AJF,s ability to identify judicial reform 
needs, MEPI approved funding for ABA,s judicial reform 
program.  ABA,s resident legal expert John Hermina has been 
in Bahrain since January 2004.  John works directly with 
Justice Minister Al Arrayed and together they have begun 
major changes at the Justice Ministry. 
 
In January, John Hermina accompanied a group of Bahraini 
prosecutors to France and the United States for training. 
Shortly after his return, the Ministry of Justice contracted 
the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) to train 
judges in commercial law.  The Justice Minister was telling 
me the other day that 17 judges attended the latest seminar 
on Islamic Banking and Money Laundering.  Sessions have been 
fully attended, vibrant and interactive.  John is now working 
with BIBF to develop a full continuing education curriculum. 
 
To increase transparency, the Ministry of Justice placed last 
February its very first public announcement for the 
recruitment of 20 new judges.  Our contacts in the legal 
community told us that this bold move is confirmation that 
the Minister is serious about reform and more positive 
changes are coming. 
 
In an unprecedented move, the Justice Minister sacked in 
March six Shari,a Court judges who were known for accepting 
bribes and coercing sex from female litigants.  I recall 
Minister Al Arrayed telling me that reforming Shari,a courts 
was off limits.  Women activists have publicly lauded this 
move. 
 
In April Minister Al Arrayed and John Hermina started to 
tackle alternative dispute resolution by establishing an 
Office of Mediation.  Based on criteria established by the 
Ministry, the Court Clerk now is able to give a case a 
mediation date in lieu of a court date.  In May the Justice 
Ministry completed a survey to assess the current conditions 
of its IT systems so it can install new software for a case 
management system. 
 
Minister Al Arrayed assures me that he will sustain the 
momentum.  In fact he and John Hermina traveled to Cairo last 
week to tour Egypt,s Judicial Institute.  The Minister was 
able to observe first-hand Egypt,s judicial training program 
for new judges and spent time interviewing new judges. 
 
All these recent changes were only possible due to your 
willingness to get involved with judicial reform in the 
Middle East and the Arab Judicial Forum.  Your efforts were 
well spent. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
/s/ 
 
Ronald E. Neumann 
Ambassador 
NEUMANN