Report of the Public Lecture
The 43rd Public Lecture on Criminal Justice Policy was held on 31 January 2025. UNAFEI, the Japan Criminal Policy Society Foundation (JCPS) and the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation (ACPF) have hosted this annual event since 1982.
The event was held in a hybrid format (in-person and online) so that many participants from both Japan and overseas could participate. As a result, 84 in-person participants and 101 online participants attended, which shows that the lecture topic was of great interest to the public.
Lectures
The Public Lecture featured the Honourable Teresia Mumbua Matheka, Presiding Judge of the Makueni High Court, who presented online from Kenya. Prior to her lecture, two senior officials, Mr. Camilo Graziani Caetano PAES DE ALMEIDA (Brazil) and Mr. Syed Ashfaq ANWAR (Pakistan), who were participating in UNAFEI’s 186th International Senior Seminar presented on the challenges and efforts made in their countries to address the rehabilitation and reintegration of youth involved in terrorism.
In addition, Mr. Torben Adams, Head of Division, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, State of Bremen, Federal Republic of Germany, gave an online lecture at UNAFEI's International Senior Seminar on Friday, 7 February, at 3:00 pm (Japan time). The lecture was also distributed online to the participants of the Public Lecture. (Mr. Adams was unable to speak at the Public Lecture due to unavoidable circumstances.)
The lectures emphasized that efforts to prevent and counter terrorism, including the reintegration of offenders involved in terrorism, requires a whole-of-society approach, whereby the government, the private sector, civil society and citizens collaborate to ensure that no member of society is radicalized to violence.
Lecture 1
“Criminal justice interventions aimed at rehabilitating and reintegrating offenders involved in terrorism”
Mr. Camilo Graziani Caetano PAES DE ALMEIDA
Commissioner of Police, Head of the Counter-Terrorism Division, Brazilian Federal Police
Mr. Syed Ashfaq ANWAR
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police
Lecture 2
“Current Status and Prospects of Child Justice in Kenya: A Judge's Perspective”
Ms. Teresia Mumbua Matheka
Presiding Judge, Makueni High Court in Kenya
Chairperson, National Committee on the Administration of Justice Standing Committee on the Administration of and Access to Justice for Children
Lecture slides are available
Relevant material 1 is available
Relevant material 2 is available
Mr. Adams’ lecture
“Criminal Justice Issues Regarding Youth Involved in Terrorism”
Mr. Torben Adams
Head of Division, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, State of Bremen, Federal Republic of Germany
Lecture slides are available
Overview of the Lectures
The first part of the event, entitled “Criminal justice interventions aimed at rehabilitating and reintegrating offenders involved in terrorism”, featured two participants from the 186th International Senior Seminar, who introduced the current status, challenges and countermeasures against terrorism in their respective countries. Both Mr. Paes de Almeida and Mr. Anwar are experienced criminal justice officials who lead counterterrorism and public security initiatives in their countries. It was a valuable opportunity for the participants of the event to learn from the wealth of knowledge and experience of these two senior officials.
In the second part, Ms. Matheka gave a comprehensive overview of the current status, challenges and prospects of the child justice system in Kenya from her perspective as an experienced judge. She explained that Kenya places great importance on the welfare of children in conflict with the law by taking a child-centric approach with consideration of the best interests of the child. She also explained that children recruited by criminal organizations and radicalized children are considered to be victims of radicalization and are recognized as children in need of care and protection under the Kenyan Children Act, 2022. Courts are directed by the law on the care and protection of these children including the safeguarding of the child's physical and mental health through appropriate referrals. Ms. Matheka, who has led efforts to protect children's rights and establish a child-friendly justice system in Kenya for many years, had a very cheerful demeanour, and her warmth toward children was evident, even through the screen during her lecture.
Mr. Adams addressed the topics of the treatment of foreign terrorist fighters in custodial settings and prevention measures against violent extremism in prison and in the community. He provided an overview of the current situation of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) in Iraq and northeastern Syria, introduced the key provisions of relevant of UN Security Council resolutions and their implementation to deal with FTFs, and discussed the challenges related to FTFs' return to their home countries. He also underlined the importance of understanding inmates’ vulnerabilities and the dynamics of radicalization in prisons and other detention settings to prevent their radicalization. He also highlighted the need for staff training, comprehensive and effective interventions using motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioural approaches, and community reintegration programmes to foster a youth-friendly rehabilitation environment.
We hope this event provided participants with valuable insights and inspiring perspectives to advance in their respective fields.
Director of UNAFEI
President of ACPF
Chairperson of JCPS
