Promoting the rule of law, preserving judicial independence and ensuring that justice is administered effectively and efficiently are pillars of good governance.  Reform initiatives addressing such pillars have been underway in the Middle East for some time. Good initiatives and intentions, however, must be implemented with the careful consideration of environmental realities that may at times impede the long term sustainability of such efforts.  The lack of adequate resources, reliable data, and tools by which a system’s performance is assessed are examples of such impediments. Equally significant is the lack of reliable and institutionalized mechanisms through which knowledge is promoted, produced, applied and diffused in the region. Without the ability and means to share knowledge and foster the creation of regional networks capable of producing and disseminating information on a pan-Arab basis, the region will continue to fall short in its efforts.

Starting at the Arab Judicial Forum in 2003 in Bahrain, and continuing through subsequent meetings, a group of high level representatives - including ministers of justice, ministry undersecretaries, directors of judicial training institutes, chief justices and non-governmental organization representatives from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Yemen-  initiated the process of discussing and strategizing the formation and support for a regional entity that will focus on institutionalizing the flow of knowledge and enhancing the rule of law in the Arab countries.

The Arab Council for Judicial and Legal Studies (ACJLS) was inaugurated in the MENA region on June 26-28, 2006 in Amman, Jordan as an independent, non-governmental organization that promotes the rule of law and assists judiciaries by enhancing the sharing of information and best practices, implementing training programs and workshops, and raising public awareness of issues pertinent to the judgiciary.