Global Judicial Integrity Network Updates Special Edition 'Views' Review | Page 33

VIEWS
Behavioural Psychology Made My Judicial Training A Success
In addition to serving as a District and Session Judge, Raja Jahnazaib Akhtar is currently a judicial trainer
at the Punjab Judicial Academy, the Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad as well as the Pakistan Law
College in Chakwal. He previously served as a senior civil judge and judicial magistrate.
As a District Court Judge Pakistan. Fortunately, the opportunity arose
with a passion for judicial when the Honourable Director General of the
education,
I
recently Punjab Judicial Academy invited me to conduct
discovered a new dimension a one-day workshop on judicial conduct and
of teaching, and with it a ethics for a pre-service batch of judges. My time
newfound confidence in had come to deliver, and I plunged myself into
myself. Although I had the task, applying what I had learned in Vienna
been conducting trainings about the basic five “P’s”: “Proper Planning
of judges at the Punjab Prevents Poor Presentation.”
Judicial Academy in Lahore and the Federal
Judicial Academy in Islamabad for several The day I dreamed of finally came, and I
years, I had never attempted to
launched into my presentation
train judges on judicial conduct and
on the Bangalore Principles of
ethics. The mere idea of standing
Judicial Conduct at the start of
on a podium and lecturing them on I believe as a the workshop. To remind attendant
ethics felt like a huge challenge.
trainer
that judges of the documents on judicial
conduct and ethics which preceded
you
learn
every
My participation in a train-the-
the Bangalore Principles, I duly
trainers workshop at the United day. What is covered the Universal Declaration
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
of Human Rights, the International
important
is
to
headquarters in Vienna, under
Covenant on Civil and Political
the auspices of the Global Judicial keep learning, to Rights and the United Nations Basic
Integrity Network, changed my
Principles on the Independence
enjoy
challenges
perspective and my disposition.
of Judiciary. I also introduced
The workshop introduced me to and to tolerate them to the Judicial Integrity
different training techniques and
Group, the Lusaka Statement, the
methodologies, allowing judicial ambiguity.
Doha Declaration and the Global
trainers to handle various learning
Judicial Integrity Network. Finally,
styles. After we covered the role of
I elaborated on the Bangalore
trainers, and that of facilitators, I began to Principles, while referring to the Commentary
reflect on the theory of transactional analysis; on the Bangalore Principles, and their status.
I also felt I had a better understanding of
potential subtle biases, and of group dynamics. Michelle Austin, Head of the Judicial Education
The workshop certainly expanded my field of Team from the Judicial College of England and
vision, acquainting me with new horizons of Wales, had pointed out during our workshop in
judicial education.
Vienna that judges tend to learn best by doing.
With that in mind, I divided the participants
The biggest challenge remained in converting into six small groups, assigning one value of
my knowledge into reality back home in the Bangalore Principles to each group. The
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