RECONSTRUCTION: ILAC focuses on judicial independence

A delegation of international lawyers visited Baghdad last week to agree a framework for improving the war-ravaged state's legal institutions, but narrowly escaped death.

The International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) - a Stockholm-based organisation formed by the International and American Bar Associations to rebuild legal institutions in post-conflict states - met with representatives of the UN and the US-backed Coalition Provisional Authority.

The delegation had a narrow escape when a meeting with the UN - scheduled for the moment on 19 August when a suicide attack on its Baghdad headquarters killed more than 23 UN employees - was postponed at the last minute.

ILAC's executive director, Swedish lawyer Christian Ahlund, said the priority for ILAC during the visit was to train judges in judicial independence.

He said: 'There are functioning judicial systems [in Iraq] but no concept of judicial independence.'

ILAC also discussed ways that human rights law could be applied in relation to current proposals to create some form of tribunal to deal with perpetrators of war crimes.

Mr Ahlund will report to ILAC's council before the organisation draws up proposals following the visit.

Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association, said: 'ILAC has emerged as a powerful new element of the international community's work to restore justice systems that have collapsed through war or dictatorship.

Its role in Iraq has the potential to become a useful model for other affected or damaged countries around the world.'

Jeremy Fleming