Colloquia Publications
North American Judicial Colloquium
Click the cover above to download a complete report on the North American Judicial Colloquium. Click here for a summary. A transcript of the the Colloquium's keynote address by Louise Arbour is available here.
West Africa Judicial
Colloquia
Click here read a report on the West African Judicial Colloquia held in Dakar (2006) and Accra (2007)
Summaries of the colloquia in Dakar and Accra
Cliquez ici pour lire la version française du rapport sur les Colloques ouest africains sur la justice, tenus à Dakar (2006) et à Accra (2007)
Related information
A presentation on the Center's work in West Africa related to international justice and coexistence is available here.
Guide to electronic sources of foreign and international jurisprudence
Guide to electronic sources of foreign and international legislation
Fostering Dialogue between national and international judges
The aims of the Brandeis Judicial Colloquia are to foster an exchange of experience and expertise between judges in national judiciaries and those on international courts, and to establish an ongoing dialogue on fundamental issues that affect them both.
The first colloquium, held in Dakar, Senegal, in January 2006, brought together 12 high court judges from West Africa and four international judges for four days of dialogue. Perspectives on human rights law and international treaties, questions of judicial independence, and opportunities for professional development were among the items discussed by those who attended the West African Judicial Colloquium.
In response to the success of the first colloquium, the Center organized the Second West African Judicial Colloquium, which again emphasized the critical role of supreme court justices in promoting the rule of law in the West African region. Titled "Promoting Judicial Independence and Access to Global Jurisprudence," this second colloquium took place in Accra, Ghana, in October 2007. Justices from 15 West African high courts as well as several international judges and law experts attended the three-day colloquium to continue the exchange of ideas and network building that was begun in 2006.
A follow-up to the West African Judicial Colloquia focused on women and access to justice in Africa. Programs in International Justice and Society collaborated with Partners in Gender Justice and the United Nations Development Program on a conference from 19-21 November 2008 in Ghana. “The Role of the Judiciary in Promoting Gender Justice in Conflict-Affected Africa” invited judges from West and East Africa, along with members of civil society, to discuss strategies for increasing women’s access to judicial institutions and procedures on the continent. Click here for a news story.
The North American Judicial Colloquium, which brought together US and Canadian judges with international judges, was held at Brandeis on November 6-8, 2008. Participants included U.S. and Canadian judges as well as judges from international courts with human rights, criminal, and inter-state dispute resolution jurisdictions. The convenors of the event were Chief Justice Phillip Rapoza of the Massachusetts Appeals Court and Justice Lynn Smith of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Louise Arbour, former Supreme Court Justice of Canada, former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, gave the keynote speech for the event. A report on the North American Judicial Colloquium is now available. The first two judicial colloquia were held in West Africa (see report at right).