Albanian Justice Sector Strengthening Project (JuST) Quarterly Report for October – December 2013

The project is part of ongoing U.S. support to the rule of law and good governance in Albania, with an emphasis on improving justice delivery and increasing public demand for accountability in the justice sector. During the fourth year of the project, significant progress was made in increasing court transparency, fairness, and efficiency. The project's first component focused on court operations, with a number of strategies designed to address the lack of transparency and organizational deficiencies that impede the ability of the Albanian judiciary to implement meaningful reform. Intervention results included more accurate trial records, more efficiently-run courts that are more open to the public, and reduced case backlogs. One of the key initiatives of the project was the implementation of digital audio recording capability for the Albanian courts. The JuST team continued installation and training on schedule, completing the process in the Vlora and Saranda District Courts, the Vlora Appellate Court, and the Gjirokaster Appellate Court. The use of digital audio recording has been widely accepted by judges, with many citing its value in increasing transparency, correctness, solemnity, and fair implementation of legal procedures. The project also convened the third Regional Court Leadership Conference in Tirana, which brought together over 250 people, including almost all of the judges and judicial support personnel. The conference marked a significant shift in the level of acceptance of the project's initiatives, with many judges expressing their support for the use of digital audio recording and other reforms. In addition to the court operations component, the project also focused on strengthening civic engagement to help stem governmental and justice sector corruption. This was achieved through a number of initiatives, including capacity development for the Union of Albanian Judges, a Justice and Good Governance CSO Grants Program, and a Justice Reporting Fellows: Training and Independent Venue for Investigative Journalists program. The project also worked to strengthen the legal profession and legal education, with a focus on establishing a Bar Journal with the National Chamber of Advocates and publishing it regularly, as well as implementing a Clinical Legal Education Program. Overall, the Albanian Justice Sector Strengthening Project has made significant progress in improving the justice delivery system in Albania, with a focus on increasing court transparency, fairness, and efficiency, strengthening civic engagement, and strengthening the legal profession and legal education.