MUSCAT, Oman, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

The Omani prosecutor mentorship programme, an initiative of the Bar Council, has been aiming to raise Omani lawyers' understanding and awareness of the ways in which the English legal system operates.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150408/738958 )

English Barristers and senior legal figures were delighted to host Faisal Al-Rashdi, a public prosecutor in Oman and his team, as part of the new initiative.    

Al Rashdi and his team recently spent two weeks in the UK shadowing and discussing cases with members of the English legal establishment, seeing first hand issues surrounding corruption and money laundering in the UK.

The Omani prosecutors worked with Janet Weeks, a leading fraud junior with a specialism in fiscal offences. Ms Weeks has been involved in many of the high profile or complex fraud cases in the UK. In her career, she has prosecuted an array of senior solicitors and accountants for various fiscal offences.

The team was also mentored by Edward Jenkins, a specialist in all areas of criminal law who has dealt with many serious and complex cases of fraud.

Mr Al-Rashdi, who has played a crucial role in cleaning up irregularities, particularly in Oman's oil sector, said of the programme: "Oman has made great strides over the past two years in dealing with high profile cases of financial wrong-doings. However, there is still room for improvement in this regard. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to ensuring justice and fighting corruption."

Ms Weeks also visited Oman as part of the continual involvement in the programme, which is formally partnered with the British Oman Council and the British Embassy in Oman.

The ongoing programme has been assisting lawyers from jurisdictions around the world to experience the English legal system and to explore areas of cooperation.

Amanda Pinto, Chair of the Bar Council's International Committee said: "This is an excellent scheme to promote and encourage the rule of law, and particularly on this occasion to explore comparative laws in the areas of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering."  

Ms Minto added, "We look forward very much to working further with our Omani colleagues on this initiative in the coming years."

SOURCE Oman News