From 13-15 January 2026, the JuSTICE Project, funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), supported the Lao People’s Supreme Court in organising a Workshop on Judicial Decision Writing in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. The three-day training brought together Lao judges with the aim of strengthening professional skills in judgment drafting, legal reasoning, and judicial deliberation.
The workshop was led by M. Jean-Paul Jean, Honorary President of Chamber at the French Court of Cassation, who has extensive experience in judicial practice and reform. This session built on an initial training delivered by Judge Jean in September 2025, allowing participants to further deepen their understanding of judicial reasoning and the structure of well-reasoned decisions.
Throughout the workshop, participants engaged in a combination of theoretical inputs and practice-oriented exercises. Sessions addressed citizens’ and litigants’ expectations of judges, highlighting the role of judicial decisions in ensuring fairness, transparency, and public trust in the justice system. Particular attention was given to the legal foundations of judgments, including the hierarchy of norms, judicial independence, and the role of case law in supporting consistent and predictable jurisprudence.
The training also introduced international standards and comparative good practices in judgment drafting. Drawing on comparative perspectives, discussions enabled participants to reflect on how different legal systems approach reasoning, structure, and clarity in judicial decisions, and how such practices may be adapted to the Lao context.
Practical exercises formed a central component of the workshop. Through interactive simulations of civil and criminal hearings, role-play exercises, and deliberation simulations, participants were able to apply theoretical concepts to real-life judicial situations. Group drafting sessions allowed judges to collaboratively analyse cases, draft reasoning, and review judgments, with detailed feedback provided by the expert. These peer discussions encouraged reflection on both individual and collective approaches to judicial decision-making.
By combining substantive legal analysis with hands-on practice, the workshop contributed to reinforcing judicial reasoning skills and improving the quality of written decisions. It also provided a forum for professional exchange among judges, supporting a shared understanding of standards and expectations in judicial work.
The workshop forms part of the JuSTICE Project’s broader efforts to strengthen judicial practice and institutional capacity in Lao PDR, in support of the rule of law and access to justice.
