NCJ Number
226763
Date Published
September 2008
Length
212 pages
Annotation
This report presents proceedings and papers from the First Regional Seminar on Good Governance for Southeast Asian Countries, held December 17-21, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand, to address the issue of "Corruption Control in the Judiciary and Prosecutorial Authorities."
Abstract
Eighteen recommendations were developed by seminar participants, who were composed of criminal justice practitioners from 8 Southeast Asian countries. One recommendation is that efforts to combat judicial and prosecutorial corruption should be based on an objective assessment of the nature and scope of the problem in consultation with stakeholders such as judges, prosecutors, private lawyers, investigative organizations, court users, law faculty, politicians, nongovernmental organizations, and the mass media. If existing agencies do not have the public's trust, the seminar recommends that new independent agencies should be considered for combating judicial and prosecutorial corruption. Other recommendations pertain to the selection of new judges and prosecutors; codes of conduct for judges and prosecutors; the declaration of assets possessed by judges, prosecutors and their families and associates; the random assignment of court cases; guidelines for sentencing, bail, and prosecutorial discretion; and transparency in judicial and prosecutorial activities. In addition to the seminar's recommendations, this report contains the General Rapporteur's Report and papers from the opening session, the four presentation sessions, and the closing ceremony, as well as the seminar schedule.