Judicial Studies Center launches long-distance judicial education program for Ghanaian justices
Professor Neil S. Siegel led a five-day seminar on the interpretation of constitutional and statutory law via video-conference with 20 appellate and district justices in Ghana during the last week in February. The seminar was part of a pilot project that Duke Law’s Center for Judicial Studies is conducting to advance the rule of law in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. A seminar for a new group of 20 Ghanaian justices is in the works.
“The Center is building on its success, expanding the number of courses taught by Duke Law professors and the number of countries we work with,” said Center Director John Rabiej. “The idea is to have a Duke Law professor lecture on a given subject, the justices discuss applying the lecture to local law, and the professor answers follow-up questions the next day.”
The Center plans to invite United States federal judges to participate via video conference, providing comments and reactions from the U.S. judicial perspective during the last 10-15 minutes of each session.
“The Center’s work will have a profound impact on the justices in these countries, advancing the rule of law,” Rabiej said.
