Background
The Ministry of Justice functions as the central government authority responsible for coordinating legal and judicial reform programs, including code revision, judicial training, and inter-agency project implementation. The Ministry of Justice is the Cambodian government agency responsible for coordinating legal and judicial reform, including code revision and capacity-building for courts and prosecutors.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provides technical cooperation to Cambodia’s Ministry of Justice under the Law and Justice Sector Development Project, supplying legal-drafting support, training, and project management assistance. JICA provides technical cooperation to Cambodia’s Ministry of Justice for legal drafting, judicial training, and project management support.
Scope of Application
The meeting and project activities cover the Ministry of Justice, courts at all levels, the National-level judicial training institutions and the Royal Bar Association as participating institutions in the Law and Justice Sector Development Project Phase 6. The scope includes workstreams on out-of-court dispute resolution, and amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code as referenced by the project stakeholders.
Key Provisions or Decisions
On 27 May 2026 the Ministry of Justice convened the fourth Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting for the Law and Justice Sector Development Project Phase 6, co-chaired by Secretary of State Dr. Chin Malin and JICA representative YAKO Yoshito. Participants reviewed the project implementation results to date and discussed the project action plan for 2026–2027.
Agenda items included stakeholder feedback on project outcomes, cooperation on out-of-court dispute resolution measures, and technical work on revising the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. The committee also examined the feasibility of continuing the project into Phase 7 with a focus on human resource training within the justice sector and further statutory revisions.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
Revisions to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code may change compliance requirements and dispute-resolution processes used by businesses and legal practitioners; affected parties should monitor formal publications of any enacted amendments. Organizations engaging with Cambodia’s justice system can expect continued capacity-building activities and should plan for transitional implementation periods tied to project outputs and official promulgation of legal texts.
Official Source
Ministry of Justice Facebook post, 27 May 2026: source.
