Case Study: Parliamentary Study Tour & Training with The Judicial Committee of the Parliament of Ghana

ByMatt Binns

This latest blog post shares an overview of a recent parliamentary study tour and training facilitated by our Centre upon request from the Judicial Committee of the Parliament of Ghana.

Brief:

A delegation from the Judicial Committee of the Parliament of Ghana contacted us with a request for a training that would help them strengthen the relationship between parliament and judiciary in Ghana.

After a more detailed discussion and our assessment on the needs of the delegation, it became clear that the group wanted to explore how committees in the UK, and committees from other parliaments, gather information and conduct inquiries. Additionally, to aid their role as the Judiciary Committee, they specifically wanted to learn how to gather information and conduct inquiries into the activities and spending of the judiciary, while maintaining and respecting the judiciary’s independence.

With these lessons, they hoped to learn more about relationship building between the parliament and judiciary and we produced a programme to suit these aims, which is what is covered in the next section.

Parliamentary Study Tour and Training: David Gauke

Execution:

With information we received from the client’s brief and the results from our needs assessment, we created a programme with the following objectives:

  • Strengthen the collaboration between the judiciary, legislature and parliament
  • Learn more about collaboration between parliament and the judiciary from the UK and other jurisdictions
  • Analyse good practice in the duties, procedures and responsibilities of parliamentary committees
  • Review the functions and relationships in the UK and other judicial systems
  • Visit the UK Houses of Parliament and the UK Supreme Court
  • Promoting accountability and transparency to ensure success across parliament and the judiciary

The five-day programme was designed to review good practice in the parliamentary-judicial relationship in the UK, Europe, Canada and beyond, and the duties and responsibilities of the respective institutions, with the use of real-life case studies, tours to prestigious parliamentary and judicial buildings.

Parliamentary Study Tour - Houses of Parliament Visit

Result:

The parliamentary study tour was a success with all participants rating it ‘Excellent’ and ‘Very Good’. The training hosted an array of experts sharing their knowledge and experience working with both parliament and the judiciary. The training was led by a former UK Member of Parliament, Huw Edwards, and a current Secretary of the UK Judicial Executive Board, Alex Clark to ensure a balanced and comprehensive learning experience.

Particular highlights for the training included a tour of the UK Houses of Parliament, a meeting and sharing of knowledge with the Former UK Secretary of State for Justice David Gauke, a tour of the UK Supreme Court and a meeting with its Chief Executive, Vicky Fox.

Topics covered

  • Analysing the functions of Parliament and the Judiciary
  • Conduct Stages and Outcomes of Select Committee Inquiries
  • The Relationship between the Legislature and Judiciary
  • Collaborative Working and Stakeholder Management
  • Parliamentary Committee Questions to leaders in the Judiciary and Legislature
  • The Role of the Head of the Judiciary, Lord Justice and Secretary of State for Justice: Influencing and Relationship Building
  • Establishing Independence and Respect between Parliament and the Judiciary

Parliamentary Study Tour - Supreme Court CEO Vicky Fox

 

To learn more about our parliamentary study tour and training offerings, you can view our Mastering Parliamentary Excellence: Representation, Processes and Duties training page for further information.