The Courts and COVID: What's Been the Global Response?

IACA’s Global Conversation Podcast, Thursday, December 31, 2020 Brought to You By the: International Association for Court Administration The Coronavirus pandemic has been a scourge across the globe. It has also been one of the longest lasting and most widespread crises in recent times. It has affected every component of government in every nation that has had to deal with COVID-19. How have court systems in different countries coped with the pandemic?  This podcast asks court leaders from around the world about issues important to the administration of justice. This episode will explore how courts around the globe have responded to the Coronavirus. About the Co-Hosts: Janet Cornell has over 35 years in court leadership including service in general and limited jurisdiction courts. She is a founding and contributing member to www.courtleader.net. She has a Masters in Public Administration from Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, and is a Fellow of the National Center for State Courts, Institute for Court Management in Williamsburg, VA, along with certificates from the Leader Coach Institute, Scottsdale, AZ, and the Leadership Institute for Judicial Education, Memphis, TN. Peter C. Kiefer has served for over 40 years working with trial courts in Oregon, Arizona, and California.  He has consulted with the judicial systems in Liberia, Moldova, and Beirut, Lebanon, as well as being a member of a NACM delegation to visit the People’s Republic of China.  Peter graduated from Santa Clara University with his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, received his Master’s of Public Administration with a specialty in Court Administration from the University of Southern California, and is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management.  About the Panelists: Judge Belen G. Salespara-Carasig is the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 296, Paranaque City. She is an alumna of the University of Santo Tomas Facultad de Derecho Civil. Upon her graduation in 2004, she took the Bar Examinations where she garnered a general weighted average of 80.55%.  Upon her assumption into office, her Court was designated as a Special Election Court for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election Cases in addition to her regular case load as a MeTC Court. On top of that, her Court was also among the pilot courts for the Speedy and Continuous Trial under AM 15-06-10 SC.  Judge Sidney H. Stein has been a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York by appointment of the President of the United States since 1995. He received an A.B. degree from Princeton University and a J.D. degree from Yale Law School. Following his graduation, he was a clerk to the Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Judge Stein was a partner in a litigation firm he founded from 1981 until his induction as a United States District Judge in 1995. Noora Aarnio is the Senior Specialist, International Affairs, Department of Development for the National Courts Administration, in Vantaa, Finland. Ali Shamis Al Madhani is Judge of the Dubai International Financial Center Courts (DIFC), and in April 2008 he was sworn in as a Judge of the DIFC Courts Court of Appeal. He was later appointed as a member of the Joint Committee of the Dubai Courts. H.E. Judge Ali is currently a Senior Judge of Court of Appeal and Head of International Relations of Judicial Affairs.  Judge Al Madhani began his judicial career in 1994 until 1998 as a Public Prosecutor for Dubai Public Prosecution. In 1998, he was appointed by the Ruler of Dubai to serve as a Judge in the Dubai Courts.