About The Judicial Institute

The Judicial Institute was established in Iraq under Law No. 33 of 1976, aiming to prepare judges and members of the public prosecution and to develop the legal knowledge of other legal professionals in state institutions. The study period at the Judicial Institute is two years, during which judges and members of the public prosecution receive practical and theoretical training, culminating in a postgraduate diploma in judicial sciences.

The Judicial Institute was in operation since its establishment in 1976 until 2017, when it was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. Following the enactment of the Higher Judicial Council Law No. 45 of 2017, which appointed Dr. Faiq Zidan, President of the Court of Cassation, as the President of the Higher Judicial Council, the Judicial Institute was integrated into the Higher Judicial Council. This was done in accordance with Law No. 70 of 2017, which transferred the Judicial Institute from the Ministry of Justice to the Higher Judicial Council.

The Judicial Institute’s administration consists of the President of the Court of Cassation – as the Chairman, the Public Prosecutor – as a member, the Head of the Judicial Inspection – as a member, and the Dean of the Judicial Institute – as a member. Teaching at the Judicial Institute is conducted by judges who are experienced and competent, in addition to academics from reputable universities specialized in law. The curriculum includes various subjects related to the work of judges such as criminal investigation departments and forensic medicine.

Since its integration into the Higher Judicial Council, the Institute has introduced various new courses and has focused on the practical application aspect of the curriculum. This has raised the academic and professional standards of the Institute. The Judicial Institute has also undergone extensive reconstruction and renovation of its buildings, including the restoration and rebuilding of essential facilities, such as the Institute’s library, classrooms, and administrative buildings, to preserve the Institute’s prestigious legacy.

Admission Requirements for the Judicial Institute:

1- Graduation from one of the law faculties in the Republic of Iraq or a recognized faculty, provided that the candidate passes an exam in Iraqi laws, the content and procedure of which are determined by the Institute’s council.
2- Having practiced law effectively for at least three years without any misconduct affecting justice and the law, or having held a judicial or legal position in state departments or the public sector for the mentioned period.
3- Age should not exceed 40 years and should not be less than 28 years upon admission to the Institute.
4- Having a good reputation and conduct.
5- Being physically fit and healthy.
6- Having not been previously expelled from the Institute.
7- Being of Iraqi nationality by birth and having both parents of Iraqi nationality by birth, as well as full civil eligibility.
8- Not having been convicted of a non-political felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.

First-Year Study Subjects: Civil law (theory and application), civil litigation law (theory and application), criminal procedure law (theory and application), penal code (general section), personal status law, evidence law, justice legislation, administrative law, judiciary, Arabic language, international law (international treaties, nationality), commercial law, and English language.

Second-Year Study Subjects: Penal code (special section), civil law (theory and application), investigation, dispute of laws, child protection law, organized crime law, public prosecution, administrative judiciary, forensic medicine, criminal psychology, Arabic language, genetic fingerprinting, criminal evidence, constitutional judiciary and challenging the constitutionality of laws, computer science, and research methodology.

Courses Organized by the Judicial Institute: In accordance with Article 1 of the amended Judicial Institute Law No. 33 of 1976, the Institute organizes courses for employees working in all state ministries and independent departments to enhance their efficiency. In addition, the Institute holds specialized courses such as “Granting Investigator Authority” for officers working in the Ministry of Interior, based on Article 51/h of the Criminal Procedure Law No. 23 of 1971, and “Granting Notary Authority” for legal employees working in the Ministry of Justice. After the integration of the Judicial Institute with the Higher Judicial Council based on Law No. 70 of 2017, the Institute has hosted many workshops and lectures by distinguished experts for judges, prosecutors, and their deputies in Baghdad and other provinces. These lectures have covered specialized subjects such as constitutional judiciary, public contracts, linguistic safety in legal drafting, and the importance of parallel investigation in money laundering crimes.

Library Division: The library was renovated and reorganized after the Judicial Institute’s move to the Higher Judicial Council in 2017. The library contains legal, jurisprudential, cultural books, language dictionaries, biographies, and research papers of the Judicial Institute’s students since its establishment in 1976, as well as theses and dissertations of postgraduate students. It also has issues of Iraqi and Arab legal journals and magazines. The library enriches its sources with donated books, theses, and research papers from researchers, judges, and postgraduate students (Master’s and Ph.D.) in various fields of law. In addition, there are English-language books and volumes of “Sessions of Notables” from 1926 to 1956. The total number of books from various sources is 19,441 and subject to increase.
The books, research papers, and theses are entered electronically, numbered, and organized according to the type of law, and registered in the library’s records. An electronic program has been developed for archiving the library electronically and publishing it on the Judicial Institute’s official website to allow the broadest possible access for researchers. The library also has an external borrowing system, allowing students of the Institute, judges, and postgraduate students from all Iraqi universities to benefit from it. In addition, the library has electronic borrowing and houses volumes of the official newspaper (Iraqi Facts) from 1925 to the present.

Participation of the Judicial Institute: Following the integration of the Institute into the Higher Judicial Council under Law No. 70 of 2017, the Institute has experienced openness in the field of cooperation and coordination on both external and internal levels, with governmental institutions, departments, and all Iraqi universities.

External participations have included: 1. Cooperation with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights at the academic level, which includes training and enhancing skills in using electronic platforms for national training of judicial institutes in the Middle East and North Africa region.
2. Cooperation with the Arab League, the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice, and the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research to enhance participation in training courses aimed at developing judges’ skills, improving their competencies, and developing training methods and exchanging experiences between judicial institutes.
3. Cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross to enhance training and discussion sessions for judges.
4. Cooperation with representatives of the European Union mission and the United Nations Development Programme to exchange views on the project to support justice initiatives aimed at reducing corruption and promoting dispute resolution in commercial disputes.
5. Cooperation with the French Embassy and the Cultural Exchange Center at the Embassy on topics and activities related to the training of judges and support of the Judicial Institute.
6. Collaboration with the American University in Baghdad, providing legal capacities and expertise to help establish a law school at the American University.
7. Cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme in Iraq (UNDP) in partnership with the European Union mission in Iraq, within the framework of a project to support Iraq’s efforts to combat corruption titled “Supporting Justice Initiatives to Combat Corruption and Promote Commercial Dispute Resolution”.
8. The regional and Arab cooperation has culminated in the Judicial Institute achieving the first place among Arab judicial institutes and receiving the Shield of Excellence in Arab Judicial Training at the 36th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice in the Arab League.
9. The Iraqi Judicial Institute renewed its membership in the Euro-Arab Judicial Training Network.