Quarterly Report, April - June 2010: Judicial Reform Implementation Project

The Implementation of New Reforms component focused on electronic entry of old enforcement cases, with the process being completed in Basic Courts Skopje 2, Tetovo, and Kumanovo. In courts where registration was completed, legal interns assisted enforcement judges in preparing cases for transfer to enforcement agents or notaries. A roundtable meeting was held on May 31st with all president judges to discuss the transfer of enforcement cases to enforcement agents or notaries. However, the transfer was postponed until August 2011. The Project presented commercial case analysis results to judges of Basic Courts Skopje 2 and Veles, concluding that the current court organization is effective in dealing with commercial cases and that there is no need to establish new and specialized commercial or trade courts. The Improvement of Court Practices and Material Resources component sponsored a study tour to Sweden from April 25th to May 1st for eight judges assigned as Public Information Officers (PIOs) in Macedonia courts. The study tour allowed participants to learn from judges in Sweden, who have a well-established tradition of bringing the courts closer to the public. A planning session was held on the last day of the study tour where specific action steps were identified for implementation by the PIOs upon their return to Macedonia. On June 17th and 18th, the Project sponsored a networking meeting on court openness and transparency for all president judges and PIOs. The meeting allowed for a presentation of nationwide achievements in the area of court transparency. The best practices learned in the study tour to Sweden were highlighted and shared with the participants. Importance was given to PIO activities that demonstrated how president judges' commitment to these principles has resulted in greater public trust and confidence in their courts. The Judicial Reform Implementation Project also worked intensively with the Judicial Council to assist them in developing their first strategic plan and codes of ethics. The three-year strategic plan was developed through a series of workshops and drafting sessions and was officially adopted at the Council's session on June 10th. Two codes of ethics, one for the council and one for support staff, will promote the standards of objectivity and independence in the Council's work. The Project assisted the Court Administration Association (CAA) in developing its recommendations for submission to the Ministry of Justice work group. The CAA also developed a newsletter, outlined a public and media relations strategy, and began work to develop a code of ethics for court service personnel. The Project supported the CAA in its work with the Judicial Training Academy on creating a comprehensive training curriculum for court administration staff. Capacity building workshops for the Court Services Council (CSC) were organized on April 9th, 10th, and 19th. The output of the workshops was the creation of a CSC action plan for communication, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the Council's work. The CSC, in partnership with the CAA, began work on creating a code of ethics for court administration personnel. This effort will support higher standards of conduct and level of professionalism among court staff. A study for tying the judicial branch budget to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Macedonia was completed on May 4th. The Court Budget Council (CBC) adopted the study's recommendations and plans to request that the Law on Court Budget be amended to tie the court budget to 0.8 percent of the GDP, which would correspond to 2 percent of the National Budget. The Automated Court Case Management and Information System (ACCMIS) is now used in all courts, with varying levels of usage depending on the internal organizational environment of each court. ACCMIS on-site trainings were completed in the Appellate Court Gostivar and the remotely dispatched misdemeanor department of the Basic Court Skopje 1. User training in these courts was delayed due to lack of technical infrastructure to use ACCMIS in these courts.