The Presence of the Chief Justice at the SCO summit of Heads of Supreme Courts reflects active diplomacy and effective judicial governance

Hassan Abdolian Pour, in a note provided to Mizan News Agency regarding the Chief Justice’s participation in the 20th Summit of Heads of Supreme Courts of SCO member states, wrote: The presence of the Chief Justice, as the highest judicial authority of the country, in this international event is viewed as a crucial move to increase diplomatic interactions. This is essential for reinforcing Iran’s legal and judicial position, fostering collaborative frameworks, enhancing technical skills, and keeping pace with modern global developments in law and justice.

Broadly, increasing legal and judicial interactions paves the way for a positive transformation in Iran’s judicial diplomacy, ultimately leading to enhanced justice and judicial security at national and regional levels.

One of the advantages of strengthening legal and judicial interactions is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is introduced as an active and responsible player in the legal and judicial domain in the region. This presence encourages other countries to view Iran as a reliable partner for negotiations and judicial cooperation, opening opportunities for new agreements.

The attendance of the highest judicial authority, the Chief Justice, at the SCO Summit signifies Iran’s serious commitment and concern for addressing regional challenges. This is particularly relevant for issues highlighted at the summit, such as combating transnational crimes and supporting environmental protection, which are common challenges requiring cooperation and coordination to resolve.

One of the most significant practical outcomes of such summits is the groundwork for signing cooperation agreements between Iran and other countries. These include facilitating the exchange and transfer of convicts, prisoner exchanges between Iran and SCO member states, which can reduce legal issues for nationals of member states.

In terms of judicial assistance in investigating and addressing transnational crimes, Iran can better identify, pursue, and extradite transnational criminals through joint agreements with other countries.

Beyond diplomatic benefits, this presence can defend Iran’s national interests on the international stage. Addressing issues concerning Iranian nationals, protecting their rights, countering unjust legal pressures or sanctions from rival or hostile countries, and gaining political and legal support in specific cases or complex global issues are achievable through such summits.

Iran’s participation in this summit not only enables the utilization of other judicial systems’ experiences but also provides an opportunity to align its judicial system with new standards to enhance efficiency and transparency.

Thus, the active participation of Iran’s judiciary is not solely legal in nature but also encompasses security and economic dimensions. Economic crimes, corruption, terrorism, and smuggling directly impact countries’ security and economies. Through regional cooperation, Iran can better combat destructive networks and ensure greater legal security for its interests.

The Chief Justice’s trip to China, in light of this year’s slogan “Investment for Production,” yields several key achievements aligned with this theme. The main focus of negotiations during this trip was expanding judicial and economic cooperation between Iran and China. Such cooperation can improve the business environment, facilitate investment processes, and enhance legal infrastructure to support investors.

Given China’s position as one of the world’s largest economies, this visit can open a window for facilitating joint investments, establishing trade agreements, and transferring technology, ultimately boosting domestic production capacity and creating employment in Iran.

The Chief Justice’s presence at the summit and emphasis on cooperation will enable the resolution of legal and commercial issues between investors of the two countries. This will provide reassurance to foreign investors, particularly Chinese ones, encouraging safer and more motivated participation in Iran.

China, as a country with a large and complex judicial system, has implemented numerous reforms in recent years. The Chief Justice’s trip can facilitate the exchange of experiences, familiarize Iran with modern case management mechanisms, electronic adjudication, and advanced judicial technologies, all of which are emphasized in Iran’s Judicial Transformation Document.

One of the objectives of the Judicial Transformation Document is to activate judicial diplomacy in pursuit of effective governance, leveraging international capacities to support the rights of Iranians abroad, resolve disputes, and pursue international litigation. Meetings and negotiations with SCO members, especially China, are impactful, as China leads in developing smart cities and implementing information technologies in governance institutions.

Leveraging these experiences and adopting cutting-edge technologies can help achieve the goals of the Judicial Transformation Document by advancing electronic adjudication and improving the efficiency of Iran’s judicial structure.