Ministry of Justice (Arab Union)
The Ministry of Justice (Arabic: وزارة العدل wazārat al-‘adl) is an executive department under the Council of Ministers of the Arab Union. Led by the Minister of Justice and managed by the Attorney General of the Arab Union (the chief legal advisor to the federal government), the Ministry of Justice oversees the administration of justice at both the federal and republican level. The constituent republics (federated states) each have their own parallel court system, with only two permanent courts of federal jurisdiction; by contrast, the republics do not administer legal prosecution, which is exclusively handled by prosecutors employed the single Ministry of Justice.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Directorates[edit | edit source]
The Ministry of Justice oversees four main directorates, which are responsible for executing the responsibilities of the Ministry of Justice:
- Federal Prosecution Directorate: Chaired by the Attorney General, this directorate is staffed by deputy federal prosecutors and is responsible for representing the government (the prosecution or "the State") in all federal trials;
- Judicial Administration Directorate: Handles all administrative responsibilities parallel to the national court hierarchy;
- Judicial Police Directorate: Responsible for security at all courthouses, executing court-issued warrants and handling federal law enforcement and investigative responsibilities;
- Federal Corrections Authority: Operates all federal correctional facilities, which make up a small percentage of civilian prisons (or prisons generally) in the Arab Union, the only other exception being military prisons under the Ministry of Defence's Military Police Directorate;
- Justice Internal Authority: Responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct by Ministry of Justice personnel and/or institutions; works closely with the National Police;
Administrative bodies[edit | edit source]
- Probation and Parole Office: Responsible for keeping in touch with early-released offenders on probation, ensuring their abiding by the conditions of their early (probational) release; also keeps tabs on recently released offenders having completed their sentences, assisting them with their re-integration into society;
- Criminal Records Office: Responsible for handling and organising all criminal records and related data for the Ministry of Justice and law enforcement agencies within the nation;
- Accounting Office: Responsible for drawing up and managing the budget of the Ministry of Justice, and auditing use by the ministry of budget funds on an annual basis;
- Technological and Vehicle Department: Handles requests for, procurement, maintenance and delivery of all technologies and vehicles used by Ministry of Justice personnel; indeed the largest administrative body within the ministry.