A “populist” speech delivered by the Judicial Inspectorate threatens people’s confidence in the fairness of the courts

Yemen

Yamanat

The Yemeni Legal and Judicial Portal confirms that what was included in Circular No. (3) of 1447 AH issued by the Judicial Inspection Authority, regarding the existence of cases of falsification of hearing minutes and case documents, is that it contained a general and vague media formula that would harm the prestige of the judiciary and its image among public opinion, in a way that is not compatible with what is supposed to be addressed in the legal, professional and institutional framework.

At the Yemeni Legal and Judicial Portal, we believe that the fight against corruption within the judicial institution is an undisputed issue, but we strongly reject that strict mechanisms of judicial accountability be replaced by methods of public populist discourse, which generalize accusations against all judges and judicial officials without discrimination, and give society a distorted image of the reality of the judicial system, thus making it lose the trust of the people and its institutional dignity.

It would have been better for the Commission to open serious internal investigations and hold those involved to account if anything was proven against them, rather than issuing a circular suggesting that manipulation has become a widespread phenomenon. The fact is that the incidents – if they exist – are nothing more than isolated individual cases which must be treated without exaggeration or defamation.

The issue becomes more dangerous, at a time when the Yemeni justice system is exposed to the most unjust and organized smear campaigns, which seek to undermine society’s confidence in it and drag citizens into chaos, or to resort to whims and domination, or to resort to the arbitration of those with influence and money instead of judicial institutions, in light of the growing media chaos and the involvement of many media outlets in campaigns aimed at defaming the judicial system and judges without professional or ethical controls.

The reputation of the judiciary is not an object of media consumption, but rather a pillar of the rule of law, and must be treated with wisdom and balance, taking into account the duty of purification on the one hand, and preserving the status of the judiciary and the prestige of honorable judges, on the other hand.

In conclusion, we warn against the consequences of pursuing such emotional generalizations and call for the Inspectorate’s actions to be characterized by balance and legal discipline, and for accountability tools to remain institutional and not flashy, in order to preserve society’s trust in the last bastions of justice.

Source: Yemeni Law and Justice Portal on Facebook

Yemen