Myanmar plans to overhaul court system
Myanmar yesterday announced plans to reform its graft-plagued judicial system, a move met with scepticism by lawyers and activists long used to red tape and poor access to justice during the junta era.
Courts across the country, which have long been viewed as a corruption-riddled arm of the army-dominated government, are to be modernised and committed to "integrity", independence and the rule of law, according to the new three-year plan unveiled by the Supreme Court.
In the report, Supreme Court chief justice Htun Htun Oo said peace and prosperity could only be achieved once "the eternal principles of justice, liberty and equality" have been enhanced.
The 2015 to 2017 judicial roadmap lays out priorities for the court system as part of wider reforms under a quasi-civilian regime that have shaken the country out of isolation over the last three years.
Much of the judicial system remains cloaked in mystery, with almost no public or media access to trials or basic case information.
A 2013 report from the International Commission of Jurists said that while some barriers preventing lawyers from practising had been lifted by the new government, significant restrictions remained and "systemic corruption" continued to affect every aspect of their careers.
The Supreme Court report recommends media training for court staff, public information counters, case management courses for judges and a satisfaction survey as part of the strategy to drag the judiciary into a new age.
But lawyers used to battling through the country's labyrinthine bureaucracy remained unconvinced, saying previous plans to overhaul the legal system have swiftly unravelled.
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