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The constitution was approved after three weeks of meetings in Kabul during which 502 male and female delegates, representing Afghanistan's various ethnic groups and geographic regions, debated and made compromises on a draft document before approving it by acclamation. The new constitution marks a historic step forward. Afghans have made a great deal of progress in the justice sector since 2001, but much work remains to be done. The Afghan justice system needs to improve its human resource capacity through legal education and professional development. Judges and lawyers have minimal training and often base their work on their personal understanding of Islamic law and tribal codes without taking into account relevant Afghan laws. The Afghan Government is working hard to establish the rule of law for its citizens. Today, the American private sector can extend a hand of friendship by joining the United States to support Afghanistan's vision for a free, democratic, and prosperous state based on the rule of law. |
On January 4, 2004, Afghanistan's Constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) approved a 162-article constitution establishing a presidential system of government with a bicameral legislature and paving the way for national elections later in 2004.