Ref: 73/2010

On Sunday, 03 October 2010, the Training Unit and Women’s Rights
Unit of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) concluded the second
training course for young lawyers in the field of litigation before Sharia’
courts.

The 18-hour course was held in PCHR’s main office in Gaza in
the period 26 September – 03 October 2010, as 20 lawyers participated in the
course.

In his closing speech, Dr. Sa’id Abu al-Jabeen, Judge of the
Sharia’ Supreme Court and Commissioner of Sharia’ Courts, said in
his concluding speech that Sharia’ judiciary decided to hold an annual
examination for lawyers wishing to litigate before Sharia’ courts. He thanked PCHR for its distinguished efforts
exerted in developing the capabilities and knowledge of lawyers wishing to
obtain the license to practice the legal profession before the Sharia’
courts. In the end of his speech, Dr.
Abu al-Jabeen asked the participants to keep working hard.

Mr. Bassam al-Aqra’, Director of PCHR’s Training Unit, explained
PCHR’s interest in raising the efficiency and improvement of the capabilities
and knowledge of lawyers wishing to obtain the license to practice the legal profession
before the Sharia’ courts. Mr.
al-Aqra’ emphasized that such courses have become an annual tradition of
PCHR. In his concluding speech, Mr.
al-Aqra’ congratulated the participants and asked them to continually
communicate with PCHR and not to hesitate to come to PCHR whenever they need to
benefit from its experience and library.

Mrs. Mona Shawa, Director of PCHR’s Women’s Rights Unit, thanked
the participants for their active and fruitful participation in the training
course, confirming that this course is different from the previous ones as it
is more advanced. A group of lawyers,
who previously participated in other courses in PCHR, were selected and a
training program, which combined human rights concepts in the international
conventions and those mentioned in the Family Law, was prepared. The program included: the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights; Convention on the Rights of the Child; Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; problems of
litigation before Sharia’ courts; and cases of alimony, separation, and
seizure. The course was concluded with a
practical exercise conducted by the participants and represented in a pseudo
court  in an alimony case.

It should be noted that a team of specialized trainers from
PCHR conducted the training. The team
included: Hanan Matar and Samir Hassaniya, lawyers in PCHR’s Women’s Unit;
Bassam al-Aqra’, Director of PCHR’s Training Unit; and Mona Shawa, Director of
PCHR’s Women’s Unit, in addition to Dr. Sa’id Abu al-Jabeen, Judge of the Sharia’
Supreme Court.