PM Barzani discusses justice system, rule of law in Kurdistan with British judges

The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, on Thursday received delegates from the British Court of Appeal to discuss the justice system in the region and mechanisms to improve it.

The members of the delegation were Justices Dame Anne Rafferty, Peter Henry Gross, and Andrew Hutton.

The head of the Kurdistan Region’s Judicial Council, Bengin Qassim, the head of Kurdistan Bar Association, Bakhtiyar Qazi, and the Minister of Interior, Karim Sinjari, were also present during the meeting.

The British delegates highlighted developments in the field of law in the autonomous Kurdistan Region and expressed readiness to cooperate with the local Judicial Council to strengthen the rule of law, justice, and Kurdistan’s courts. Training for local judges in inside and outside of the Kurdistan Region is on the table, according to Barzani’s press office.

The judges have a similar accord with the Iraqi Judicial Council, with the purpose of better handling terror cases, promoting the independence of the judiciary, and strengthening the rule of law in both the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq, the statement added.

Barzani, in turn, expressed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) readiness to facilitate and cooperate in this regard, hoping the Kurdistan Region could benefit from the UK’s experience and knowledge.

The current situation in the region and bilateral ties between the Kurdistan Region and the UK were other topics discussed in the meeting.

Editing by Nadia Riva