23 August 2006, Dili - Sukehiro Hasegawa, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Timor-Leste today called for renewed commitment to respecting and enhancing the independence of the judiciary.
With the UNOTIL mandate coming to an end, all 17 international judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers and court clerks recruited by UNOTIL are now completing their assignments. UNDP is taking over many of these positions and making every effort to recruit new international judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers so that the public prosecution service and the courts can continue functioning.
In addition, UNOTIL is making arrangements for additional prosecutors to be deployed on a temporary basis from other international judiciary institutions in order to sustain the rule of law in the country.
Such efforts will assist the Timorese judiciary institutions in handling the increased number of arrests by the international forces as a result of continued instability. It is also anticipated that, with the arrival of the UN police, the number of arrests will further increase under the new UN mission in Timor-Leste.
"The remaining judges and prosecutors are working hard to handle the increased number of court cases," Hasegawa said. "Once the new international judges and prosecutors arrive, judicial proceedings will be stepped up to address not only the pending but also newly emerging cases."
SRSG Hasegawa then called upon all national and international judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers to uphold the principles of professional integrity, judicial impartiality and independence. He said that the safety and security of judges and prosecutors need to be enhanced in order to ensure the proper functioning of the judicial system.
For additional information, please contact: Donna Cusumano, Chief, Public Information Office, UNOTIL; +670 723 0749