From 13 to 15 January 2026, the JuSTICE Project, funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), supported the Lao People’s Supreme Court in organising a three-day follow-up workshop on judicial decision writing in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. The workshop brought together 30 judges and assistant judges to further strengthen their skills in judicial reasoning, judgment drafting, and deliberation through a practical and participatory approach.
Led by Mr Jean-Paul Jean, Honorary President of Chamber at the French Court of Cassation, the workshop built on a first training delivered in September 2025. This second phase was designed to deepen participants’ ability to draft clear, structured and well-reasoned decisions, while introducing more complex legal situations and strengthening the quality of legal analysis in both civil and criminal matters.
A central feature of the workshop was its participatory methodology. The training combined short presentations with group discussions, guided reflection, peer exchange, roleplay, mock hearings, and collaborative drafting sessions. Participants worked in small groups to analyse case scenarios, debate legal issues, simulate hearings, and draft judgments together. This approach helped ensure that the workshop remained closely connected to the daily practice of judges and encouraged active learning throughout the three days.
The sessions addressed key themes related to judicial decision writing, including the preparation and structure of judgments, the reasoning process, judicial deliberation, and the importance of clarity and legal justification. The workshop also introduced international and comparative perspectives, including discussion of the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, as part of a broader reflection on the role of judges, judicial independence, and the standards that support fairness, consistency, and public confidence in the justice system.
The workshop produced a number of concrete outputs. Participants developed practical civil and criminal case scenarios, carried out simulated hearings, and drafted six judgments based on the cases discussed during the sessions. These exercises resulted in a set of case summaries and draft decisions covering a range of realistic disputes, including loan agreements, theft, traffic offences, and contractual non-performance. In addition, the activity contributed to the development and use of practical training materials, templates, and case-based tools adapted to the Lao judicial context.
By combining legal analysis with hands-on group work, the workshop strengthened participants’ ability to organise legal reasoning, identify the key issues in a case, and translate this reasoning into clearer and better-structured judicial decisions. It also created a valuable space for exchange among judges and assistant judges, helping to promote a more shared understanding of good practices in judicial writing and deliberation.
This activity forms part of the JuSTICE Project’s broader support to strengthening judicial practice and institutional capacity in Lao PDR. It also helps pave the way for future support on judicial ethics, including upcoming cooperation with the École nationale de la magistrature (ENM), as part of the Project’s continued efforts to promote quality, integrity, and professionalism within the justice sector.
