GJPI attended the Judicial Independence Conference in Erbil on 30 and 31 March 2009, organised by ICJI, IIRL and USIP. The conference presentations addressed a number of aspects of judicial independence including the position of the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Training Institute, the Administrative Court function of the Shura Council and the Public Prosecution Service. The Conference recommendations included a call for the repeal of Article 136(b) of the Criminal Procedure Code 23 of 1971.