While the pace of developments in technology continues to accelerate to the great pleasure of many, it does present challenges to certain categories of professional disciplines whose nature does not lend itself well to much flexibility; with the preservation of judicial integrity at the helm of their principles, many judges may have difficulty embracing rapid innovation.
Judges must comply with legal and ethical ramifications which other professions may not face when using technology. This is particularly the case when considering social media platforms, which have become ubiquitous in the last few years; inserting themselves into people's mundane activities, they allow instant communication with family, friends and total strangers, the sharing of holiday photos and funny memes, and the ability of commenting on news stories.
The effectiveness of any judiciary depends upon its perceived legitimacy, especially in the eyes of the public. This perception requires not only that the judges uphold the highest standards of integrity and independence, but also that states respect judicial independence and do not undermine judicial decisions.
A successful judiciary is one whose members are appointed following a rigorous process assessing both the candidate's legal qualifications as well as integrity. Different countries' constitutions and other laws provide for different requirements, but it is crucial that only the best people are appointed to judicial positions. Judiciaries should not be politicized - this means that ruling parties should not appoint judges who will be answerable to them and not to the constitution and members of the public.
Established in 2016, the International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award is designed to showcase creative and outstanding achievements of anti-corruption projects from across the globe and publicly acknowledge these exceptional efforts.
Awarded by the Rule Of Law and Anti-Corruption Center (ROLACC), and presented in support of the anti-corruption mandate of UNODC, the initiative promotes the importance of tackling corruption and encourages the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
Submissions close 5 September 2018 and more details on the award and nomination process can be found at www.aceaward.com.
In the latest edition of the magazine 'Justice Trends', UNODC's Dimitri Vlassis - Chief of the organization's Corruption and Economic Crime Branch - provides his insights into the workings of the 13th UN Crime Congress held in Qatar in 2015, and the resultant Doha Declaration which emerged from this important gathering.
In this wide-ranging interview, Mr. Vlassis discusses UNODC's Global Programme - the first time that such an implementation initiative has emerged from a Crime Congress to provide support to countries to put into practice the Doha Declaration's commitments.
Every initiative undertaken by UNODC and the entire United Nations family aims to spread equality throughout the world. For a fair, peaceful and just global community, and to achieve SDG 16 for which UNODC works continuously (peace, justice and strong institutions), men and women must be equal in all aspects of work and life.
Redressing gender inequalities is at the core of UNODC's Strategy for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, and a goal shared by the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration as it works to promote a culture of lawfulness around the world, providing education and training and supporting the full participation of women in every professional sphere.
