Idriss Déby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad, Françoise Andrieux, President of the UIHJ
The delegation of the UIHJ was also received on the same day at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights by Abbasalah Yusuf, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Chad, and at the French Embassy in Chad by Her Excellency, Evelyne Decorps, Ambassador of France in Chad.
This meeting with the President of the Republic of Chad proved to be a major event for the profession of judicial officer in Chad, relayed by all media. The delegation of the UIHJ invited to the Presidential Palace of Chad included Françoise Andrieux, President of the UIHJ, Elysée Eldjimbaye, President of the National Chamber of the Judicial Officers of Chad, André Sama Botcho, President of the National Chamber of Judicial Officers of Togo, Vice-President of the UIHJ, Honoré Aggrey, former Vice-President of the UIHJ, Mathieu Chardon, Secretary General of the UIHJ, Alain Ngongang, President of the National Chamber of the Judicial Officers of Cameroon, Special advisor of the UIHJ for Africa, Issaka Moussa Dan Koma, Secretary General of the Training Unit of African judicial Officers (Ufohja) and Yusuf Moussa Ahmed, Counsellor of the National Chamber of the Judicial Officers of Chad.
At the beginning of a forty-minute interview in which also participated Yusuf Abbasalah, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Chad, Françoise Andrieux personally handed to the Head of State a letter that she had been entrusted with to his attention written by Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. President Déby Itno instantly read the letter. He conveyed his greetings to the Hague Conference on Private International Law and stated that he would not fail to respond as soon as possible.
President Eldjimbaye said this was the second visit of the UIHJ to Chad, the first having being organised in 2006. President Andrieux then presented the UIHJ to the President of the Republic of Chad. She recalled that the UIHJ today included 88 countries on four continents and aimed to work towards the harmonisation of the profession of judicial officer in the world, as well as ensuring the implementation of an independent judicial officer to ensure the rule of law. "Training is at the heart of this harmonisation process", continued President Andrieux. She explained that the UIHJ is heavily involved in Africa since "The Call of Dakar" of 1996. She added that the twentieth anniversary of this historic event for the profession of judicial officer would be celebrated at the end of April 2016 in Dakar, Senegal. She invited President Déby Itno to attend the event.
"Citizens can rely on the judicial system through the judicial officer, the final link of justice" told Francoise Andrieux. That is why the UIHJ organises for twenty years training sessions for African judicial officers, she said. The UIHJ nurtures close relations with Ohada, ERSUMA and UEMOA. The harmonisation of the profession can be achieved using a harmonised status of the profession. She explained to the President of Chad, also President of the African Union for the year 2016 that a draft harmonised status of the judicial officer which had been presented to the UEMOA by the UIHJ was currently under discussion. President Andrieux finally submitted to His Excellency to establish Law Houses in Chad that would bring together in one place liberal justice professionals, judicial officers, lawyers and notaries, to offer full visibility to the litigant. "Chad could be a model for other countries" concluded Françoise Andrieux.
Idriss Déby Itno welcomed the delegation of the UIHJ in Chad and in the Presidential Palace. He thanked the UIHJ to have chosen his country for this international conference. He said he would welcome recommendations which would be drafted at the end of the works. There can be no peace without true social justice and citizens must rely in their justice system, said the Head of State, referring to the work done in the framework of the General Assises of justice in 2003. "The country is wide and we must take care of everyone”, he said. There is a real need in terms of recruitment and training of court personnel, judges, clerks, recognised the President, noting that the rules of OHADA were not always fully perceived by the judges, who are low in numbers. Idriss Déby Itno stressed the efforts needed in this area to ensure trust in the judiciary of his country, making Justice a priority sector for the Government.
At the end of the interview, Françoise Andrieux warmly thanked the Head of State to have received the delegation of the UIHJ. She handed him the Grand Medal of the UIHJ to thank him for his actions in favour of the profession of judicial officer. The president of the UIHJ also gave him the Global Code of Enforcement.
The event was widely covered by all media in the country, giving unprecedented focus in Chad on the profession of judicial officer, hitherto rather unknown.
In the morning, Françoise Andrieux, Mathieu Chardon and Elysée Eldjimbaye were received at the French Embassy in Chad by Her Excellency, Evelyne Decorps, Ambassador of France in Chad. President Andrieux evoked the actions of the UIHJ for the profession of judicial officer, stressing the importance of the French model which influenced many systems in Europe and in Africa, particularly in Central and Western Africa. Françoise Andrieux mentioned that the presidency of the UIHJ had returned to France since the International Congress of Judicial Officers in Madrid in June 2015. She gave her a copy of the Global Code of Enforcement. During a long very open and cordial meeting Evelyne Decorps provided relevant explanations on the Chadian specificities and the links between France and Chad, in particular to strengthen the Chadian justice system. On the 20th anniversary of the Call of Dakar, to be held in Dakar, Senegal, end of April 2016, the Secretary General of the UIJH recalled that the 1996 Call of Dakar was made possible through the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France.
Last but not least, the delegation of the UIHJ was also received in the afternoon at the Ministry of Justice by Yusuf Abbasalah. The Minister of Justice and Human Rights, only appointed a few days before, assured the President of the National Chamber of the Judicial Officers of Chad to work closely to strengthen the profession in his country. "Judicial officers must enforce good decisions. We must act upstream and downstream", analysed Yusuf Abbasalah. Counting on the support of the UIHJ, he indicated that a comprehensive programme was about to start, with consultation of all partners to ensure all necessary improvements. He added that the recommendations of the N'Djamena conference in this regard would constitute a key document.
Françoise Andrieux replied that the UIHJ made its experts available to the Chadian authorities, as well as tools such as the Global Code of Enforcement and the Grand Questionnaire of the UIHJ. Elysée Eldjimbaye outlined to the Minister of Justice the security problems faced by Chadian judicial officers and the need for enhanced training for all judicial personnel. He assured that the National Chamber of the Judicial Officers of Chad was available to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of Chad to strengthen law in Chad. In response, the Minister assured that he would do everything possible to guarantee the protection of judicial officers in the exercise of their activities, and a close collaboration between the two institutions.
