On the 20th of November 2024, the A2JiL team welcomed a delegation from the Libyan Criminal Research and Training Center. The delegation consisted of high-ranking public prosecutors, judges, academics, and lawyers. The CRTC, which is part of the Attorney General’s office, provides training for public prosecutors in Libya and conducts research, mainly of a criminological nature. As the CRTC has recently gained a prominent position in Libya, the Dutch Embassy made connections between the CRTC and relevant Dutch organizations, including VVI.

The delegation was welcomed in the Academiegebouw, where prof. Adriaan Bedner (VVI Head of Department) provided the visitors with information on Leiden University, its Faculty of Law, and the Van Vollenhoven Institute (VVI). Prof. Jan Michiel Otto and prof. Suliman Ibrahim introduced the participants to several projects of the Libya-Leiden cooperation since 2012. Lastly, prof. Suliman presented, online from Benghazi, our current research project on access to justice in Libya, and Gieneke Teeuwen discussed the national survey on access to justice, which was recently conducted under direction of Dr. Fathi Ali. The visitors noted various areas of mutual interest and expressed their interest in future cooperation with VVI, in the field of research as well as training.