Quarterly Report: April – June 2015

The project's overarching objective is to help the Macedonian judiciary evolve as an independent, self-governing, effective, and accountable branch of government capable of meeting the needs of citizens, businesses, and organizations for prompt and impartial protection of their rights and adjudication of their legal disputes. The project focuses on supporting the development of professional associations in the justice sector, developing effective court governance systems and practices, and improving the efficiency and quality of justice. The main components of the project include advocacy and citizen participation in judicial sector reforms, independent, efficient, and consistent application of judicial-sector policies and practices, and effective legal personnel and efficient processes. The project provides technical and managerial experience to key counterparts in the judiciary, legal professional associations (LPAs), and civil society organizations (CSOs) active in the judicial sector. Key activities and tasks include identifying and supporting key civil society and professional associations, building capacity of designated LPAs, assisting designated LPAs and CSOs in supporting laws, policies, and practices that support judicial independence, and identifying gaps and/or idiosyncrasies in policies and practices of judicial administration and management. The USAID/Macedonia JSP employs a results-driven approach to its planning and programming. The project has continued to focus on five key results areas, including strengthened advocacy and citizen participation in judicial sector reform, more independent, efficient, and consistent application of judicial policies and practices, increased fairness and efficiency of the administration of justice through more effective legal personnel and efficient processes, crisis-modifier and material support, and serving as rapporteur with justice sector. The project supports the USAID/Macedonia Assistance Objective 1: Greater Checks and Balances in Democratic Processes. Under this Assistance Objective, the project supports Intermediate Result (IR) 1.2: Greater Equilibrium among the Three Branches of Government at the National Level. Specifically, the JSP works toward Sub-IR 1.2.2: Greater Judicial Independence and Sub-IR 1.2.3: Increased Confidence in the Judicial System. During Quarter 1 of Year IV, the project has continued to focus on the implementation of the training program to build the capacities of the Macedonia Judges Association (MJA), Court Administration Association (CAA), and other LPAs and CSOs. The project has also supported the operation and promotion of the Rule of Law Council (ROLC) and constituent organizations, and has assisted designated LPAs and CSOs in supporting laws, policies, and practices that support judicial independence. The project has made significant progress in building the capacities of LPAs and CSOs, and has supported the development of needs-based budgets for the courts. The project has also provided education for various sectors of the judicial sector, including president judges, court administrators, and court staff to enhance efficiency and timeliness. Overall, the project has continued to make progress in achieving its objectives and results areas, and is well-positioned to continue its work in the coming quarters.