Providing justice for all in the West Bank

Canada provided funding to help build the Hebron Courthouse in the West Bank, which was completed in 2022. Spanning over 16,000 square metres, the innovative and impressive structure was built as a model for future courthouse designs. It is now a bustling place of work for 359,000 residents of Hebron and its surroundings. It has also gone a long way to enhance access to inclusive justice services in the region. In 2021, the previous courthouse handled more than 50,000 cases. This workload is only expected to increase in the new building because of its efficiency.

Chief Judge Yasmin Jarad, head of Hebron Governorate courts—and the first woman in this position—says that the new courthouse is a big improvement over the previous one. “Everything changed when we moved to the new building, which provides a suitable environment for litigation, and preserves the dignity of litigants.”

Safety, gender equality and accessibility were key considerations in planning, designing and building the courthouse. Ensuring the privacy of women, girls and all courthouse users was a priority. The new building will improve the way in which sensitive cases are handled, including juvenile justice, domestic violence cases and gender-based violence cases.

In addition, the courthouse meets the highest international architectural standards. The state-of-the-art building uses photovoltaic solar panels, rainwater harvesting, building automation and digitalization. This allows for minimal energy consumption and maximum efficiency and quality of services.