• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Judges Observe S.C. Courts: Visitors From Azerbaijan Collect Tips for Switch to Democratic

Posted on: Monday, 13 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Adam Beam, The State, Columbia, S.C.

Mar. 13--Municipal court, where crimes of traffic and trespassing are brought to justice, normally doesn't draw a crowd.

But Columbia city prosecutor Dana Thye and her colleagues in state and federal courts have an audience through this week.

Nine judges on Azerbaijan's supreme and appellate courts huddled on the left side of Thye's courtroom last week, scribbling notes and sharing whispers.

The case -- a traffic ticket for driving too fast for conditions -- wasn't that interesting. It's the process that held their attention.

Azerbaijan, a country squeezed between Russia and Iran along the Caspian Sea, is overhauling its judicial system as it creates a democracy, long after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The visiting judges hope to find ideas in Columbia that can translate to reforms in Azerbaijan.

Ann Furr, a Columbia municipal judge for 16 years who now is a liaison for the American Bar Association to Azerbaijan, spent months putting the two-week trip together.

The judges are observing state and federal courts. They also are meeting with Columbia Mayor Bob Coble, 5th Circuit Solicitor Barney Giese and Joe Anderson, the state's chief federal judge. They will depart Saturday.

Furr said she hopes the trip will trigger a discussion about judicial ethics in Azerbaijan. A recent survey found 83 percent of Azerbaijanis think their court system is corrupt.

Furr said Columbia is an ideal place for the judges to visit because everything from municipal court to federal court is within a 10-block area.

Azerbaijan and South Carolina also are about the same size. The close quarters in both systems means most judges and lawyers know each other.

"The Azerbaijanis are working toward a more ethical system," Furr said. "In my opinion, the system in South Carolina is very ethical."

Azerbaijan gained independence in 1991. It adopted a new constitution in 1995 that instituted a separation of powers, including the judicial branch.

Since then the country has been revamping its court system. The country has about $20 million from the World Bank to modernize its justice system.

Ramin A. Gurbanov with the Azerbaijan Ministry of Justice said the visiting judges hope to get ideas from the South Carolina visit.

"You (the United States) spent 200 years to establish the judicial branch," he said. "We are benefiting from your practice in order to save time improving our system."

After observing municipal court, the judges dove headfirst into paperwork procedures, spending close to an hour poring over dockets.

Abid Abdinbayov, a judge in the Azerbaijan Court of Serious Crimes, said that when the judges return to their country, they will present their ideas to a council of courts. The council then will take ideas to parliament, which can vote on changes.

"We can only tell people what we think should be done," he said through an interpreter.

Reach Beam at (803) 771-8405.

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The State, Columbia, S.C.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The State (Columbia, S.C.)

More News in this Category