Lessons on Law from West Africa by Rudy Apodaca

Published May 13, 2015

I love pilot courses because they present new, exciting opportunities for the RTC.

This month we’re privileged to feature an article written by a judicial instructor from our first-ever specialized course designed exclusively for judges (“The Role of the Judge in a Democratic Society” (RJDS)). Mr. Rudy Apodaca is a Retired Chief Judge of the New Mexico Court of Appeals and is also the author of the novel, “A Rare Thing”. His feature appeared as an op-ed piece in the Austin American-Statesman (Texas-based American daily newspaper). Even though I was not physically present at the RJDS course, after reading this piece, I experienced a wonderful sense of admiration for the judges from Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria who attended the course. The article is a bit lengthier than our usual blog posts, but it makes for an excellent read on a fine, sunny Sunday afternoon. Also of note, a Francophone version of the RJDS course is expected to be developed later in the year.

Newspaper article written by RJDS Instructor, Retired Chief Judge Rudy Apodaca[/caption]

[Post by: Sarah Dadson. Sarah is the Participant & Alumni Coordinator for the West Africa Regional Training Center. Email her at info@westafricartc.org]