The ILF's executive director, Natalie Rea, and ILF-West Bank's legal director, Ali Bazar, met last week with Dr. Layla Ghannam, the Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh and the first female Governor appointed in Palestine. They discussed ways to build cooperation between the ILF and agencies within the Governate, including the police, the Legal Department and the Director of Social Affairs.
Ramallah – Dr. Layla Ghannam, the Governor, affirmed the need to look comprehensively at factors and reasons that motivate a child to violate the law, especially since many cases are happening as a result of social, environmental and economic surroundings.
This came during a visit yesterday with the executive director of the International Legal Foundation (ILF), Natalie Rae, and lawyer Ali Bazar, to discuss cooperation between the governor and the ILF.
Dr. Ghannam stressed that the Governorate is standing to support and assist any institution that aims to serve all segments of society. She added that the role of the Governorate is not to put people on trial, but to stand by them to overcome their problems.
Ghannam expressed that she is willingness to work with an open mind to develop cooperation protocols and relations between the ILF, the Legal Department of the Governorate, the police and the Director of Social Affairs. She confirmed that these competent authorities are working hard for the benefit of all citizens, especially marginalized segments such as children and women.
From her side, Rae explained the ILF primarily operates to provide lawyers for the poor, women, and children, who cannot afford a lawyer to resolve their cases. Many cases take a lot of time without an outright justification.
She expressed her thanks to Ghannam for supporting the ILF, knowing that this will provide relief to many Palestinian families.