The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Thursday announced a US$21.3 million loan to finance Colombian judicial reform.
The loan will pay for improvements to the justice system, in order to help the Andean nation to strengthen the rule of law. It will finance the training of officials, improve public access to information about the justice system, support the development of oral trials through the purchase of communications equipment, and educate citizens about their rights and duties.
The IDB stated that Colombia “has made significant progress in strengthening the judiciary and guaranteeing its independence and autonomy. Nonetheless, institutional shortcomings persist, mainly procedural delays, a strong perception of legal instability, and insufficient public confidence in the justice system.”
Colombia’s justice system has recently faced criticism from the UN, which expressed concern about the level of judicial independence.
The loan has a 20-year term, with 5.5-year disembursement and grace periods.
