Given the reliance of societies worldwide on information and communication technologies, judges and prosecutors must be prepared to deal with cybercrime and electronic evidence. To enable judges and prosecutors to prosecute and adjudicate cybercrime and make use of electronic evidence through training, networking and specialization the National Centre for Judicial Studies in Cairo has organized a Training Workshop for Judges on cybercrime and child abuse. The training is in cooperation with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), Microsoft and the Council of Europe (COE).

The training is made up of two courses. The first course was conducted on 6 – 7 December and the second was on 8 – 9 December. The training workshop took place in the National Centre for Judicial Studies headquarters in Abbasseya, Cairo.

Sixty judges attended the training. By the end of the training the judges should have basic knowledge of what are cybercrime and electronic evidence and how to deal with them. They will learn what substantive and procedural laws and technologies can be applied and how urgent and efficient measures as well as extensive international cooperation can be taken. This workshop will place particular emphasis on the child protection online.

On 10 December a round table in which representatives from MCIT, the Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement (SMWIPM), Microsoft, COE, and The Ministry of Justice (MIJ). At the end of the round table the parties agreed on developing a “Pilot Concept” for Egypt in which Egypt becomes a centre for conducting training courses for judges and prosecutors in the Middle East and Africa. They also agreed on providing Egypt with all training material available.

Concluding the round table, Christina Schulman invited the National Centre for Judicial Studies to participate in the Cybercrime Conference on 23 March, 2010 in Strasbourg.