Balkh province celebrates new Appellate Court office building

Photo By Master Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey | Guests take part in a reception in an office of the new Balkh Appellate Court office building in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, following the facility ribbon cutting ceremony, July 6, 2013. Guests included Chief Judge of Balkh Province Appellate Court Mr. Abdul Aziz Sarwari (left, back), and the deputy commander of NATO Rule of Law Force Support Mission/Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan Danish Air Force Col. Hans Muenter (right, back), members of the appellate court, the Chief Police Judge, and the NROLFSM/ROLFF-A Team North. (DoD photo)  

AFGHANISTAN

07.06.2013

Courtesy Story

Combined Joint Interagency Task Force (CJIATF) 435

By Col. Hans Muenter, NROLFSM/ROLFF-A
and Bill Orndorff, CJIATF 435 Public Affairs

CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan -- Judge-client consultation in Mazar-e-Sharif can now be done more securely and confidentially following a July 6 ribbon cutting ceremony, which marked the opening of a new Afghan appellate court building there.

The 360 square-meter Balkh Appellate Court office building has 12 furnished offices, several designed for two individuals. It enables more than 20 judges and prosecutors to have a working office space to help with trial preparations. Up until now, many of the judges assigned to the Appellate Court had to consult with clients outside in the garden or on staircases.
The Chief Judge of Balkh province Appellate Court Mr. Abdul Aziz Sarwari and the Deputy Commander of NATO Rule of Law Force Support Mission/Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan Danish Air Force Col. Hans Muenter formally opened the new office building. The ceremony was blessed by a prayer, followed by the cutting of the ribbon by Münter, Sarwali and several of his fellow colleagues. Among the invitees were the local press, the Chief Police Judge and the NROLFSM/ROLFF-A Team North.

NROLFSM/ROLFF-A Commander U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Patrick Reinert said his command was pleased to be able to support the project.

"Rule of Law is fundamental to Afghan progress and sovereignty," said Reinert. "Access to transparent, independent justice is the pathway to a more civil society that can lay claim to a brighter, more hopeful future -- something Afghan justice leaders in Balkh province have been determined to deliver."

The $237,000 courthouse project was initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding between NROLFSM/ROLFF-A and the Balkh Appellate Court. Nine military officers from Finland – including legal and security advisers – oversaw the work. Construction began in February 2012.

The new building was erected between existing buildings in what was a garden area.

An Afghan construction company based in Mazar-e-Sharif constructed the facility, and all building materials and workers were from the local area. Apart from the office building, improvements included upgrades to the sewer, water and power supply. A 90 meter “mud fence” was removed and replaced with a brick and stucco security fence, fitted with sniper screening, including a new security gate, securing the appellate court from the neighboring residences.

The added building enables the courthouse to be used for public hearings and trials, reducing the case backlog, allowing them to be heard, and appropriately and efficiently adjudicated. Judges from 14 districts in the Balkh province and the local Tashkil shared office space in the courthouse before the construction.

With the official opening of the Balkh Appellate Court office building, Coalition Forces are once again contributing to and supporting the development of Rule of Law in Afghanistan. Balkh province citizens now have better access to the formal justice system, and appellate court judges have facilities that provide security and suitable working conditions.

• Date Taken: 07.06.2013
• Date Posted: 07.21.2013 08:09
• Story ID: 110556
• Location: AF