Justice Education Society of British Columbia
Justice Through Knowledge
Formerly known as the Law Courts Education Society of BC
Summer 2010 Newsletter
Summer 2010 Newsletter
The past two months have been busy and exciting for the Justice Education Society's (JES) International Programs. Activities included several project management trips to Central America and Ethiopia and the acquisition of two new Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) projects:
- Special Methods of Investigation in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, and
- Justice Sector Needs Assessment for three states in Mexico.
Guaranteeing Human Rights by Building Effective Justice Systems in Central America and Ethiopia
Guatemala
The second year work plan for JES’s Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) project is underway. It includes Crime Scene Examination (Phase 1) training for new investigators; the evaluation of the pilot project on Major Case Management and Investigative Techniques (Phase 2) in Quetzaltenango; and Oral Trials Training (Phase 3).
Phase 3 started with a special module on Crime Scene Examination for judges and prosecutors that was delivered in preparation for the Oral Trial techniques course in June in Vancouver. The final two week training course involved 13 judges and prosecutors from Guatemala and El Salvador. Canadian experts provided sessions on forensic video analysis, witness and judgment writing, DNA evidence, wire tap evidence, case preparation and trial strategies.
The JES, in collaboration with our Guatemalan partner CAFCA, has begun adapting the course for use in Guatemala in the fall.
Oral Trials Training in Vancouver, June 2010
El Salvador
The Crime Scene Examination training was completed in San Salvador in July and the next training will be delivered in Santa Ana region outside the capital city of El Salvador.
Honduras
After a thorough needs analysis of the police and prosecutors offices in Honduras, the Crime Scene Examination training has been adapted to meet local legislation. The program will be delivered in September to 20 prosecutors and police officers. The trainers will consist of Guatemalan, El Salvadorian and Honduran specialists. This will mark a special milestone of cooperation and knowledge sharing for JES's projects within the region.
Ethiopia
The JES has worked closely with retired and active RCMP members to produce a first draft of the Crime Scene Examination course for Ethiopia.
Evelyn Neaman, International Programs Manager, and Robyn Trask, Ethiopia Project Consultant, travelled to Ethiopia from July 5-14 to facilitate the JES's registration process in Ethiopia, complete the assessment of the police sector and identify trainers for the course. During their trip, the team met with key members of the three justice sectors which are the intended beneficiaries of the project.
Officials from the justice sectors are enthusiastic about the project and expressed a desire for it to proceed as soon as possible. Under new Ethiopian legislation that regulates the activities of foreign NGOs, the JES will still need to get approval from the office of the Prime Minister before launching the project.
Special Methods of Investigation for Central America
Creation of a Centre for the Interception of Telecommunications
Canadian experts were invited to El Salvador in July in response to a direct request for assistance by the Attorney General of El Salvador, Romeo Benjamín Barahona Meléndez, to support the creation of a Centre for the Interception of Telecommunications in El Salvador. The closing ceremony was attended by the Canadian Ambassador, Her Excellency Claire Poulin, who addressed the gathering and expressed how glad she was that Canada had been able to make a contribution in an area that will ultimately improve the security situation in El Salvador.
The Canadian Ambassador Claire Poulin attends the closing ceremonies of the wiretap seminar in El Salvador.
Back row, left to right: James Purney, retired member of the RCMP and the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia; Waldo Briño, Latin-American Programs Administrator; Honourable Attorney General Lic. Romeo Barahona
Front row, left to right: Cal Deedman, Legal Content Expert, Senior Prosecutor, Ministry of Attorney General, BC; Canadian Ambassador, Her Excellency Claire Poulin; William Ramirez, JES Regional Coordinator
Surveillance Needs Assessment
Two members of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) visited El Salvador and Honduras to determine the status of surveillance work by the police in the two countries. The trip took place in August and the findings will be supported in a full report that will provide recommendations for training and equipment donations to the police in these countries.
Forensic Video Analysis
A VPD Forensic Video Analysis Specialist visited El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to assess the status of video processing work in the region. The evaluation and recommendations were produced in a report and will be taken into account when developing the training program in Canada scheduled for October 2010. The Central American experts will be trained with state of the art technology that will be donated to their respective institutions for ongoing investigative work.
New Project Announcement
Mexico
DFAIT has provided funding for work in Mexico to examine current Mexican justice reform in three states. The results will determine if and how the JES’s criminal justice strengthening program can be applied to support the process in Mexico. A new website has been created that will promote knowledge and resource sharing between DFAIT, the Department of Justice, the RCMP and JES.
Additional Updates
JES's Central American office has initiated procedures to obtain legal status in Guatemala and its neighbouring countries.
William Ramirez, Regional Project Coordinator for the JES's Guatemalan Office, has resigned from his position. Mr. Ramirez will return to his home country of Peru to continue his work in legal reform. He has been an invaluable member of the JES team and we wish him the best with his move. We are pleased to announce that Claudia Palencia has been promoted to the position of Regional Project Coordinator and will take over for Mr. Ramirez in September.
In addition to Mr. Ramirez’ departure and Ms. Palencia’s promotion, JES Central America has hired two new staff. Estuardo Melchor will be in charge of programming for El Salvador and Erick Toledo will be in charge of programming for the Special Methods of Investigation project in its three countries. Both joined JES in July.
In the summer, Heather Nyberg (pictured) joined the team as the new International Program Assistant. Prior to joining JES, she worked in the Office of International Development at Simon Fraser University. Heather has five years of experience in the management of international projects in China, S.E. Asia, Sri Lanka and Ghana and is passionate about development. She has a specific interest in Latin America, having worked and lived in Mexico, and is pleased to have the opportunity to use her experience, knowledge and Spanish-speaking skills on JES’s international projects.
Finally, Maria Helena Lee, a lawyer with experience in international law, has joined JES as a volunteer and is researching best practices in victims programs in Latin American and current trends in justice reform in Mexico.