In a moving ceremony which stressed the importance of judges in their mission as guardians of justice and final instance in the resolution of social conflicts, Dr. Alberto Martinez Simon Judge of the Civil and Commercial Court was awarded with the distinction as Judge of 2009.
The initiative called "Judicial Excellence Award" was born from the organization SEEDS for Democracy, with the support of several civil society organizations such as the Paraguayan Association of Judges, The Commercial Ethics Pact (PEC) of the Paraguayan-American Chamber of Commerce, CIRD (Center for Information and Resources for Development) and USAID/Paraguay. It aims at creating and institutionalizing a system of rewards and recognition to those judges - and their work teams - which are distinguished by their performance, dedication and integrity, as a way to encourage those who strive to exceed work standards and improve the perception of justice before society.
"I thank you and I feel a little overwhelmed with this award," acknowledged the young judge who received the award surrounded by his team.
The Director of USAID/Paraguay, Dr. Rose Rakas stated: "The work of judges is of an importance such, that we can truly say that the foundation for economic development and democracy rests on the justice system."
The "Judicial Excellence Award" is the result of analytical work and rigorous methodology. The participation and involvement of civil society organizations in their oversight role contributes to the transparency and efficiency in the judiciary.
As clearly articulated by Dr. Rakas, "... it is extremely important for civil society to recognize that there are many honest judges and judicial officers who actually honor the judiciary and demonstrate their commitment to society."
The event took place on October 6th, 2009, at the Paraguayan-American Chamber of Commerce in Asuncion, Paraguay.
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