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<H1><B>Legal Consultant (International): Informal Justice Systems</B></H1>United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) <BR><B>Location: </B>Timor-Leste (Dili)<BR><B>Closing date: </B>19 Jul 2008<BR>Job Description<BR><BR><FONT size=4><U>UNDP Timor-Leste<BR><BR></U></FONT><B>Project: </B>Strengthening the Justice System in Timor-Leste<BR><B>Position Title: </B>Legal Consultant (International) – Informal Justice Systems <BR><B>Type of Contract:</B> Special Services Agreement (SSA)<BR><B>Duty Station:</B> Dili, Timor-Leste<BR><B>Duration:</B> 4 months (renewable subject to funding and satisfactory performance)<BR><BR><B>Expected Starting date:</B> 12 August 2008<BR><BR><FONT size=4>A. Background:<BR><BR></FONT>The Justice System Programme in Timor-Leste is a comprehensive support initiative for the justice sector, headed by the Council of Coordination (CoC) which comprises of the Chief Justice, Minister of Justice and Prosecutor-General. The Programme aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Courts, Prosecution, and the Ministry of Justice and its subsidiary organs (Legal Training Center, Prison Service, Public Defender’s Office) to enable the fair and effective administration of justice for the citizens of Timor-Leste.<BR><BR>With a short history of institution-building (6 years since Timor-Leste achieved independence in 2002), the formal justice sector institutions are still in the early stages of development and require long-term support. In addition, following the socio-political crisis of 2006, the justice sector has been burdened with an influx of politically-sensitive criminal cases demanding urgent resolution. In sum, the formal justice sector has been thinly stretched, and is not yet able to accommodate and cover demands for judicial remedies for the entire territory: currently only four district courts exist for a population of approximately 1 million. <BR><BR>In the meantime, the majority of disputes that arise in the daily life of citizens are being resolved through community-level informal justice mechanisms, including criminal cases . Such informal justice systems provide judicial remedies to citizens that are immediately accessible, do not involve extra costs, lead to speedy resolution, and enjoy legitimacy within communities. However, they are not always in conformity with international human rights standards, may be discriminatory against vulnerable groups, and lack transparency/accountability in decision-making. <BR><BR>The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is in the process of exploring linkages between the informal justice mechanisms and the formal system of justice, and aims to establish a legal framework that can maximize the advantages of informal justice and ensure that such mechanisms are practiced in a way that upholds the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens. The MoJ has entrusted the UN Justice Working Group, consisting of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and relevant UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes present in Timor-Leste, to produce a proposal with various options to be considered by the Ministry. Based on these recommendations, the MoJ is to produce draft legislation for the consideration of national authorities. <BR><BR>For this purpose, UNDP seeks an international legal consultant who can support the UN Justice Working Group and the Ministry of Justice in coordinating research, presenting policy proposals and drafting legislation.<BR><BR><FONT size=4>B. Roles, Responsibilities and Outputs:<BR><BR></FONT>The Consultant will report for administrative matters to the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) of the UNDP Justice System Programme, under the overall guidance of the Council of Coordination (the Ministry of Justice in particular) and the UNDP Country Office. S/he will be situated in the Ministry of Justice and undertake his/her assignment in two phases: <BR><BR><B>PHASE I:</B> The Consultant will support the UN Justice Working Group’s Sub-group on informal justice mechanisms, which is responsible for producing a proposal with various options to be considered by the Ministry.<BR><BR><B>PHASE II:</B> The Consultant, in collaboration with the Sub-group, will draft the legal framework, provide advice to the Minister of Justice on the subject matter, and support the MoJ in presenting the draft legislation to the public and national authorities. <BR><BR>S/he will perform the following tasks and responsibilities, and produce the outputs mentioned within the given timeframe: <BR><BR><FONT size=4>PHASE TASKS OUTPUTS/TIME FRAME<BR><BR></FONT><B>PHASE I<BR></B>- Serve as the secretariat for the UN Sub-group on informal justice mechanisms;<BR>- Consolidate existing knowledge on informal justice systems in Timor-Leste and abroad, based on information obtained through existing researches, studies, surveys, etc. <BR>- Consult with key national and international stakeholders in the Timor-Leste justice sector including Ministry of Justice (including directorate resopnsible for legislation and Public Defender’s Office), Courts, Prosecution, Police, District Administrations, Lawyers’ Networks, Civil Society Organizations (including INGOs), etc.<BR>- Support the Ministry of Justice, in coordination with the Sub-group, in hosting a national seminar<BR>- Provide any other support to UN Sub-group, as requested and necessary • Summary of existing knowledge<BR>- Hosting of national seminar<BR>- Summary of policy recommendations/legal options/2 months<BR><BR><B>PHASE II<BR></B>- Prepare draft legislation based on the outcomes of the national seminar, under the guidance of the MoJ and the Sub-group and in continued consultation with stakeholders<BR>- Prepare presentation material of the final draft law, in collaboration with the sub-group, for public consultations<BR>- Support MoJ’s presentation of final draft law to Council of Ministers (CoM)<BR>- Draft legislation<BR>- Presentation material for public hearings and CoM/2 months<BR><BR><FONT size=4>C. Qualifications and Professional Experience:<BR><BR></FONT>- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in law, from a civil (continental) legal system;<BR>- Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the field of law, including international human rights, criminal law, access to justice, etc. Experience in international programmes of support for rule of law & administration of justice in developing countries would be an asset.<BR>- Clearly demonstrated work experience relevant to informal/traditional systems of justice, in local communities and societies where legal pluralism is a characteristic feature of the social fabric;<BR>- Strong knowledge of international human rights law, including rights of women and children;<BR>- Experience in conducting legal research, providing legal advice and drafting legislation;<BR>- Demonstrated expertise in advising and working cooperatively with government officials as well as civil society organizations, conducting participatory work processes, strong interpersonal skills, networking and communication skills.<BR>- Excellent analytical, research, report writing and presentation skills;<BR>- Strong willingness and personal initiative to travel long distances to engage in fieldwork;<BR>- Ability to work independently and effectively under pressure;<BR>- Proficiency in English is required. Fluency in Portuguese and/or Tetum would be an advantage. <BR>Vacancies Contact<BR>Please submit your applications together with your curriculum vitae, including a list of references and relevant supporting documents to the following address:<BR>UNDP Timor-Leste<BR>Procurement Unit<BR>UN House, Caicoli Street<BR>Dili, Timor-Leste<BR>Email: ssa.tp@undp.org copy to pedro.guterres@undp.org and eun-chim.choi@undp.org. <BR>Website: <A href="http://www.undp.org.tl/" target=_blank rel=nofollow>http://www.undp.org.tl</A> <BR>The deadline for submitting applications is 19 July 2008.<BR>Only short-listed candidates will be notified. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.<BR><B>Reference Code: </B>RW_7G5BNR-83<BR><BR><BR><BR></SPAN></FONT><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV>