Justice Minister Meets with UK Delegation for Palestine

SadaNews - Justice Minister Counselor Sharhabil Al-Za'im met with the UK Special Envoy for Governance, Mr. Michael Barber, to discuss the latest political and field developments in the occupied Palestinian territory, primarily the escalating humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing aggression and violations.

This meeting took place at the ministry's headquarters on Thursday, attended by the head of the Palestinian Territories team at the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Ms. Henrietta Box, the Director of Development at the British Consulate General, Ms. Philida Strachan, the head of the Economic Development and Institutions Team at the British Consulate General, Ms. Sian Evans,
and the Governance Advisor for the Economic Development and Institutions Team at the British Consulate General, Ms. Jilanar Al-Khatib,
along with legal advisor at the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Youssef Abdul-Samad, and head of the Planning Unit, Ms. Samah Nasser.

The Justice Minister emphasized the necessity for international community action, led by influential countries like the United Kingdom, to stop the genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip and ensure the urgent and safe delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as the importance of taking political steps, primarily the recognition of the State of Palestine.

The Justice Minister provided the British delegation with a brief overview of the Ministry of Justice's efforts, goals, and plans, particularly the launch of the electronic public consultations platform "Legislation Platform" to serve as a parliament and voice of the Palestinian citizen in the absence of the Legislative Council for expressing opinions and legal observations on draft laws, regulations, and public policies. He explained that the Palestinian government, based on the principle of transparency and community participation, decided to present all draft laws on the platform before their approval.
The minister pointed out the efforts made by the Ministry of Justice to develop laws and align them with international agreements, such as the public consultation session held by the ministry on behalf of the government with the participation of civil society organizations, human rights institutions, international organizations, as well as numerous academics, legal experts, and human rights advocates, to amend a decree-law regarding cyber crimes, in an effort to develop legislation that conforms to the provisions of the basic law and international human rights standards. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice recently launched an electronic database platform to document the missing persons in Gaza.

The minister also explained to the visiting delegation the government's efforts, through the Ministry of Justice, to diligently develop a system of alternative means to alleviate the burden on the courts and shorten the litigation period, which includes training mediators and arbitrators, drafting new laws, updating existing laws in the field of alternative means, and publishing a code of conduct for arbitrators.

Counselor Al-Za'im provided an overview of the developments in the Palestinian justice sector and the plan being prepared by the Ministry of Justice to restore services and the justice system to the Gaza Strip on the day following the end of the aggression in the southern governorates, moving from the current situation to a legal status that accompanies relief and humanitarian assistance for our people in Gaza.

For his part, the UK envoy affirmed Britain's commitment to support efforts aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace, opportunities for a two-state solution, and stopping the war on Gaza. Mr. Barber praised the efforts made by the Ministry of Justice to restore the justice system to its normal state to serve the Palestinian citizen.