Week Three

This past week was definitely slower than others, but there was still a lot going on at NCSC! 

My week started out with a tour of the Supreme Court and a lecture after on how the Supreme Court has changed since it's creation. The tour itself was impressive, and I was shocked at how grand yet small the courtroom itself felt. The lecture following was held by the Supreme Court Historical Society and featured two longtime appellate and Supreme Court lawyers who discussed how different traditions have changed, such as the written briefs, oral arguments, and even the seating arrangement of the Justices. 

The next few days in the office consisted of me doing a deep dive into the current terrorism dynamics in the Philippines, specifically focusing on the Mindanao region, which is the southernmost island in the country. Mindanao is a hotspot for terrorist factions, both homegrown and affiliates of groups like IS and al-Qaeda, due to the national government's longtime oppressive actions against indigenous groups and Muslim populations, both of which are mainly in Mindanao. Combined with a lack of wealth and resources in the area, Mindanao is now considered a dangerous place to visit due to the number of bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings that have occurred in the past twenty years. This background was all necessary context for NCSC's upcoming project. They will be working to strengthen courts that have been specifically assigned to only hear terrorism cases in the region. In order to properly and justly try these cases, the justice sector will need access to better resources, training, and support to prevent future terrorist attacks while ensuring those accused have due process and other procedural rights. This project was the first time I saw how improving the justice sector in a country has long term benefits besides strengthening access to a fair and just judicial system. These rule of law initiatives have the ability to rid the country of corruption and make the country more attractive to other companies and foreign investment opportunities, which in turn could create new opportunities for local communities.

Who knows what next week has in store for me, so we'll have to wait and see!