Monthly Report: Judicial Strengthening Project (JSP) August 2015

The project's main purpose was to strengthen advocacy and citizen participation in judicial sector reform, improve the application of judicial policies and practices, increase fairness and efficiency in the administration of justice, and provide crisis-modifier and material support. Strengthening Advocacy and Citizen Participation in Judicial Sector Reform was a key focus area for the JSP. The project fulfilled Requirement 1.1 by conducting a short, focused assessment, baseline survey, and resulting action plan on justice sector LPAs and CSOs and their role in strengthening the rule of law in Macedonia. This assessment led to the development of a training program to build the capacities of the Macedonian Judges Association, Court Administrators Association, and other legal professional associations, as well as civil society organizations. The training program aimed to improve the capacity of at least two judicial sector professional associations. The Macedonian Judges Association, Court Administrators Association, and other legal professional associations, as well as civil society organizations, received training in areas such as strategic planning, advocacy, and citizen participation. The training program was designed to enhance the ability of these organizations to contribute to judicial sector reform and strengthen the rule of law in Macedonia. The JSP also focused on improving the application of judicial policies and practices. Requirement 2.2 aimed to establish administration and management rules, policies, and procedures to support a modern court system. The project provided technical support for the establishment of analytical offices in Basic Court Skopje 1 and the Judicial Council. These offices were responsible for conducting applied research and analysis to support the development of judicial policies and practices. The JSP also supported the implementation of two key elements of the strategic plan of the judiciary. The first element involved the upgrade of the Automated Budget Management System (ABMS) to calculate cost per case. The project worked with local vendors to develop new software modules that would enable the Judicial Council to track various events relevant to the evaluation process. The second element involved the development of software for interoperability between the Automated Case Management and Information System (ACCMIS) and the Automated Management and Information System of the Judicial Council (JCAKMIS). In addition, the JSP aimed to increase fairness and efficiency in the administration of justice through more effective legal personnel and efficient processes. Requirement 3.2 focused on improving caseload processing and reducing the backlog of cases. The project worked with local vendors to design and develop software upgrades that would allow courts to functionally assign cases to tracks and track deadlines. The testing of the application and validation of results were scheduled to take place in September. The JSP also provided crisis-modifier and material support. In August, the project completed the procurement of IT equipment for Basic Court Skopje 2 and Basic Court Veles to assist in the introduction and full implementation of Differentiated Case Management (DCM) and National Time Standards (NTS). The working group for DCM and NTS selected these two courts to pilot the new system. Overall, the JSP aimed to enhance the judicial sector in Macedonia through various initiatives. The project's focus areas included strengthening advocacy and citizen participation, improving the application of judicial policies and practices, increasing fairness and efficiency in the administration of justice, and providing crisis-modifier and material support.