Max Planck Foundation develops a new approach to address topical issues faced by the Somali Federal Parliament at first Training-of-Trainers Workshop
The EU funded project “Legal Capacity Building and Technical Support for the Somali Federal Parliament”, supports the Somali Federal Parliament through systematic capacity-building and the provision of technical legal advice and comparative research on a number of public law questions of relevance to the Somali law-making and constitutional review processes. In line with the Foundation’s methodology this envisions the delivery of a Training-of-Trainers workshop series for Somali Legal Advisors, who will subsequently deliver trainings to selected Members of the Somali Federal Parliament.
From 24 to 28 October 2018, the Foundation held its first Training-of-Trainers Workshop for Somalia Legal Advisors embedded in the House of the People and the Upper House of the Somali Federal Parliament. The topics of the workshop focused on “Horizontal Separation of Powers and Systems of Government”, “The Role of the Legislature in Law-Making and Constitutional Amendment Processes” and “The Somali Law-Making Process from a Comparative Perspective”. Each of these topics was addressed by a substantial presentation on the subject matter, followed by a working group assignment allowing the participants to apply their newly gained knowledge. In the ensuing discussions all the material, i.e. the presentations and the working group assignments were adjusted with the feedback and input of the Somali Legal Advisors to better serve Somali particularities and interests. These adjusted materials will now be used by the Somali Legal Advisors in the trainings for Members of the Somali Federal Parliament in Mogadishu.
As the Somali Legal Advisors to Parliament have been requested to provide technical advice on how the representation of Federal Member States’ interests through the Upper House of the Somali Federal Parliament could be improved, a comparative presentation on this topic was prepared together with the Somali Legal Advisors during the workshop. The participants engaged in a discussion on what lessons could be drawn from these comparative considerations and how the representation of Federal Member States’ interests through the Upper House could be improved in Somalia. During the discussions interesting models and suggestions were developed, which the Somali Senior Legal Advisor and the Legal Advisor for the Upper House will now present to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Upper House of the Somali Federal Parliament.