The territorial jurisdiction of Dili District Court (“DDC”) is confined to the Districts of Dili, Liquica, Ermera and Aileu in accordance with section 7.1(d) of UNTAET Regulation 2000/11. The DDC is the busiest of the 4 District Courts established pursuant to section 7 of UNTAET Regulation 2000/11.

The subject matter jurisdiction of each of the District Courts is identical and broad, extending to “all matters as courts of first instance”: section 6 of UNTAET Regulation 2000/11. In addition, however, the DDC has exclusive jurisdiction over “serious crimes”, in which regard please refer to the background section on the Special Panels for Serious Crimes. The District Courts are otherwise distinguished by their territorial jurisdiction. The DDC is a court of first instance and is therefore presently (there is provision under section 123.1 of the Constitution for the creation of additional courts) the only court within its territorial jurisdiction in which civil or criminal proceedings can be commenced.

The DDC has been operating since March 2000 and is located on Rua Abilio Monteiro in the Dili suburb of Kolmera.

Pursuant to section 13.1 of the Constitution, the official languages of East Timor are Portuguese and Tetum, (the principal, although not the only, indigenous language of East Timor). Nevertheless, during the transition period, and in accordance with s 35 of UNTAET Regulation 2000/11 as amended by Regulation 2001/25, the working languages of the Courts in East Timor are Portuguese, Tetum, Bahasa Indonesia and English. The main languages used in the DDC are Tetum and Bahasa Indonesia.

There are currently 3 international judges (including an investigating judge) working in the DDC. The judges conduct proceedings in Portuguese, and their translators translates into Tetum for the East Timorese Prosecutors, private lawyers, and the parties to the cases.

There are currently 2 public prosecutors and 1 public defender attached to the DDC. Legal Aid Clinics and private lawyers also appear in civil and criminal cases before the DDC.

JSMP conducts monitoring of hearings before the DDC on a daily basis, including the examination of case files at the Court Registry. JSMP aims to analyze the progress of the DDC through its case monitoring and provide recommendations on areas for reform. JSMP publishes regular reports on the work of the DDC and issues press releases if the urgency or public importance of a particular case requires it.