Reconstructing the Afghan legal system

One of the most critical issues for the reconstruction of the legal system in Afghanistan is the lack of reliable data and analysis. The conflicts of the past 25 years have resulted in the collapse of institutions of higher education and a brain drain as many educated Afghans fled the country. Furthermore, the short-term nature of funding, combined with the fast-paced working environment of international organisations, has left little room for reflection. This is a handicap calling for redress. The Max Planck Institute for Foreign Private Law and Private International Law has thus developed several projects to assist the Afghans in their endeavour to reconstruct their legal system. These projects revolve around legal education, the new Afghan Constitution adopted in 2004 and Afghan family law.