Pro Bono Experts - Maldives

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) seeks local or international consultants (pro bono) to deliver virtual lectures for the Judicial Academy (JA) of the Maldives, to support their delivery of continuous training and professional development opportunities for judges and judicial personnel.

BACKGROUND

ABA ROLI works to advance rule of law in the Maldives in partnership with legal and justice sector institutions, providers of free and low-cost legal aid, and organizations engaged in advocacy for legal reform and civic education. ABA ROLI aims to strengthen the capacity and operations of justice sector institutions and assist them in implementing reforms that reflect internationally accepted good practices for the justice sector, creating strong, independent, inclusive, and transparent institutions. ABA ROLI seeks to provide technical assistance and expertise to create an effective, independent, and competent legal profession that will play a leading role in promoting and upholding the cause of justice now and in the future. Finally, ABA ROLI works to increase the availability of free and low cost civil and criminal legal aid, make it easier for people needing legal assistance to find pro bono lawyers, and ensure that people know their rights and understand the legal system.

In 2019, the Judicial Academy (JA) was reinstated through the second amendment to the Judicial Service Commission Act. The JA is mandated to provide continuous training and professional development opportunities for judges and other judicial personnel. By offering these programs, the JA aims to keep the judiciary informed with the latest legal developments and equip them with the necessary skills to fulfill their duties effectively. Under this consultancy, ABA ROLI will support the JA in developing virtual lectures for continuing judicial education. These lectures will focus on priority themes selected by judges and judicial personnel as areas where capacity building is required.

Responsibilities

In consultation with the ABA ROLI and the JA, the expert will develop and deliver a virtual lecture (please refer to the list under topics) for the Maldivian judiciary, in collaboration with local judges or technical experts.

The expected tasks include:

· - Conduct an inception call with the project team.

·- Develop lecture outline in consultation with local judges or technical experts in the Maldivian Judiciary.

· - Lead a minimum 60-minute virtual session (live preferred, but pre-recorded is acceptable). The session may be followed by an optional 10-minute quiz or interactive component to assess participants’ understanding.

· - Maintain regular communication with the Judicial Academy and ABA ROLI throughout the duration of the consultancy to ensure the program meets their needs and expectations.

Topics:

1. Interim Relief (interlocutory orders) in commercial and administrative law related disputes.
2. Trials in absentia.
3. Classification of administrative contracts and commercial contracts and applications of contract law principles in administrative contracts.
4. Company Law and legal principles related to disputes pertinent to Company Law.
5. Contract Law and Principles related to disputes pertinent to Contract Law.
6. The scope of judicial authority and jurisdiction.
7. Judicial ethics.
8. Judicial decision writing.
9. Special considerations for cases involving children.
10. Gender sensitivity.
11. Courtroom management and professionalism.
12. Topics related to criminal cases:
    • Determining appropriate sentence (higher/lower penalty) as per judge’s discretion given under Criminal Procedure Code.
    • Investigation procedures.
    • Procedures related to submitting claims/charges.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Recognized legal/academic background and competence in relevant field.
• Prior experience in delivering lectures or training sessions to judicial audiences.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with diverse audiences.
• Experience working with colleagues and partners remotely, including using videoconferencing and online collaboration programs such as Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet.
• Flexibility to work outside of normal business hours.
• Excellent English communication abilities, both written and vocal.

The position will last a maximum of 8 working days, over a period of 2 months between June – August 2024. While ABA ROLI prioritizes experts who can deliver these virtual lectures pro bono, a modest honorarium may be considered. Please note that any live virtual sessions must be scheduled to accommodate with the GMT+5 time zone in which the Maldives operates.