Progress vis-à-vis specific objectives Five Eastern Partner countries

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Joint Programme

Enhancing judicial reform in the

Eastern Partnership countries

GENERAL PURPOSE

Support judicial reform in Armenia,

Azerbaijan, Belarus,

Georgia, Republic of

Moldova and Ukraine

Independence

Professionalism

Efficiency

Judicial component

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

Challenges vs European standards on judiciary : identification

Solutions: finding

Recommendations: dissemination and follow-up

Judicial component

METHODOLOGY

Multilateral

Regional

Peer-to-peer approach ►

Process of intensive information and best practice exchange

CoE expertise

Bilateral

Country based, stakeholder focused ►

Discussion of country recommendations;

Follow-up with national authorities on concrete steps to be taken

Judicial component

Issues addressed by the project

 The institutional independence of the judiciary and the independence of individual judges;

 The role of the bar, the access to the profession of lawyer, the training and ethical standards of lawyers; disciplinary proceedings against lawyers;

 Initial and continuous training of judges;

 The efficiency and the performance of the judicial system and the courts.

Judicial component

PROJECT PROGRESS

Three working groups on Independent, Professional and

Efficient Judicial System completed their work;

Four comprehensive reports were prepared on “Judicial selfgoverning bodies and career of judges,” “The profession of lawyer,” “Training of Judges” and “Efficient Judicial

Systems”; all reports were updated, reflecting the in-country discussions and are available on the project web-site;

In October 2013 the project will complete all in-country discussions and dissemination of the findings and recommendations of the analysis of judicial reforms in the

Eastern Partner countries.

Judicial component

PROGRESS VIS-À-VIS SPECIFIC

OBJECTIVES

Target: Legal and practical obstacles to the implementation of the

European standards as regards judicial reform to be identified, through intensive information and best practice sharing

Fully achieved – fully identified legal and practical obstacles to an independent and professional judiciary; shortcomings in the field of judicial efficiency were also identified. Regional trends and problems also identified.

Judicial component

PROGRESS VIS-À-VIS SPECIFIC

OBJECTIVES

Target: Projects recommendations and best practices are disseminated among key national authorities and stakeholders at the national level with a view to adjusting judicial reform policies in the identified areas of concern.

Fully achieved– dissemination of the recommendations and discussions on a bilateral level of were completed for the three working groups; all the reports were further disseminated among the key stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Progress vis-à-vis specific objectives

• Five Eastern Partner countries have available a comprehensive analysis of the current state of judicial reforms, focusing on the issues of independence, professionalism and efficiency of the judicial systems in these countries;

• Five Eastern Partner countries are aware of the main shortcomings identified as regards the compatibility of domestic legislation and practice with relevant European standards; the project drew up country-specific recommendations on the steps needed to be taken to meet these standards;

• Their capacity on European standards and tools were strengthened, that would help to enhance national capacities of the elaboration in legislation and policies related to the independence, the professionalism and the efficiency of the judiciary;

Project results

• Links among the judicial and legal professionals from the

Eastern Partnership countries were strengthened, and helped pave the way for establishing a sustainable network for exchange of information on specific matters of concern between the professionals from Eastern Partners;

• Georgia and the Republic of Moldova benefited from the project findings and amended their legislation in-line with the project recommendations during the project implementation, while other national authorities committed to consider the

Council of Europe recommendations in the future cycle of judicial reforms.

PROJECT OUTPUTS

In-depth reports on “Judicial Self-Governing Bodies and Judges’

Career,” “The Profession of Lawyer,” “Training of Judges” and

“Efficient Judicial Systems” available in English and Russian:

Recommendations at a country and regional level;

Comprehensive analysis of the legislation of participating countries;

Examples of best practices from the participating countries;

Country sheets and relevant legislation of the EaP countries;

The analysis serves countries as a base line and benchmark the progress of their reforms vis-à-vis the key issues and recommendations provided by the project.

Judicial component

PROJECT OUTPUTS

Multilateral forum: an informal forum, that allows:

 to discuss the current state of affairs of the national judicial systems; to exchange of the best practices and expertise at the regional level and opportunity to draw regional overviews and recommendations; to see what is the progress made and in what directions the judicial systems have evolved; what are country specific issues to be addressed, as well as what issues are common in the region.

Judicial component

NEXT STEPS

Take stock of the recent developments in the field of judicial reform in the Eastern Partners

(in particular any follow-up provided to the

Project recommendations) in a regional meeting;

Evaluate project results and possible follow-up to be given.

Judicial component

On behalf of the Justice and Legal Co-operation

Department

Thank you for your attention

Further information on the project:

DGHL_capacitybuilding@coe.int

http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/capacitybuilding/

Judicial component

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