Month: November 2022

EUKOJUST representatives together with EU Office representatives and the selected company to develop the E-File for judges’ system, had the first introductory meeting with the Chair of the Kosovo Judicial Council and the working group to commence the work towards development of this system.

Through this activity, Kosovo Judicial Council intends the establishment of an advanced system for electronic management of judges’ files. This electronic system will enable KJC to conduct and manage critical processes pertaining to recruitment of new judges, performance evaluation, professional development, promotion of judges and implementation of disciplinary procedures in a more effective and transparent manner.

The Case Management Information System (CMIS) is now implemented and in use throughout the Kosovo prosecution system. After an initial pilot phase, currently, the CMIS is a critical tool used by the prosecutors and the administration in performing their judicial activity. This is a critical leap forward in Kosovo’s modernization and digitalization of prosecutorial and judicial activity.

Nevertheless, as with any new system implemented, the practice is always more complicated than initially thought. Therefore, EUKOJUST project organized on 17 and 18 November, 2022, a workshop with the critical users and the senior management of the prosecutorial system in Kosovo, aimed at providing the practitioners with a platform to discuss findings, identify challenges and reach solutions.

At the same time, internal horizontal communication between prosecution offices is fostered, knowing that solutions are there already; they only need to be identified and shared with colleagues.

With the support of the EUKOJUST Program, over two days, on November 14 and 15, 2022, the workshop of the Working Group on the Concept Document for the Administrative and Labor Court was held.

The workshop was a continuation of the work on joint implementation of reforms between the Ministry of Justice, the Judicial Council and the Supreme Court, a coordination facilitated by EUKOJUST Program.

The workshop started with a presentation of comparative analysis of the institutional structures of administrative justice in several EU countries and the region, conducted by Mr. Visar Morina, EUKOJUST Expert for Administrative Justice

Moreover, the participants presented their views on specific sections of the concept document, which will define the structure of the reform that will be implemented in terms of judicial institutional framework on administrative justice.

Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Kosovo Justice Academy and several Civil Society Organizations, establishing the Friends of the Academy Network, EUKOJUST facilitated the third roundtable to discuss the training program of the Academy, held on 7 November 2022.

The Director of the Academy, Enver Fejzullahu, informed the CSOs of the activities carried out during 2022 and the draft training program of 2023 with a focus on specialized training on organized crime, corruption, domestic violence and access to justice.

During the roundtable, priorities of training curricula on certain thematic areas were tackled including proposals of specific modules from CSOs following their needs assessment.

In addition, a special corner of the Friends of the Academy Network inserted on the website of the Academy was launched. The corner will provide the opportunity to CSOs to closely follow the joint activities and the outcomes of the cooperation between KJA and NGOs.

The first roundtable was dedicated to the launching of the concept of the Network to several CSOs and its importance in strengthening cooperation between CSOs and KJA in terms of judicial education.

The second roundtable was dedicated to the signing of the MoU between CSOs and KJA. In addition, participants had also the opportunity to exchange information over training curricula’s quality and adult learning in the judicial sector, including presentation on the best practices on judicial training methodology.

The EUKOJUST program has supported the Ministry of Justice and the Working Group in a two-day workshop for the drafting of the Draft Law for the amendment and supplementation of Law No. 06/L-086 on the Special Chamber of the Supreme Court of Kosovo on the Privatization Agency of Kosovo Related Matters. The workshop was held on November 3 and 4, 2022.

This constitutes a joint and coordinated initiative between the Ministry of Justice, the Kosovo Judicial Council, and the Supreme Court. Such coordination is achieved with the support of EUKOJUST, the Program on reforming the Kosovo justice system.

The eighth meeting of the Steering Committee of the European Union/Kosovo Justice Sector Programme – EUKOJUST, was held on Thursday, November 3, 2022.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Jetish Maloku – Chair of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, and attended by the Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Blerim Sallahu, President of the Supreme Court Mr. Enver Peci, acting Chief State Prosecutor Mr. Besim Kelmendi, Director of the Kosovo Justice Academy, Mr. Enver Fejzullahu, Director of the Legal Office of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Mentor Borovci as well as EUKOJUST Project Director from IRZ Mrs. Teresa Thalhammer as well as Mr. Nicola Scaramuzzo from the EU Office in Kosovo.

The representatives of the main justice institutions in Kosovo discussed in this meeting the activities and achievements of the Project which were presented through the quarterly report covering the period July-September 2022, presenting their views on the actions to be taken in the future. Following the discussions, the voting members of the Steering Committee agreed on the date of the next Steering Committee meeting and its chairmanship.

Building professional capacities of judges and prosecutors including professionals associates on “Charging and sentencing of Domestic Violence cases” – practical implementation of the international standards on treating domestic violence cases including the national legal framework for protection from domestic violence – was the focus of a one-day training held under the Kosovo Justice Academy umbrella.

Several judges, prosecutors, and professional associates attended the training, delivered by the EUKOJUST Long Term Expert on Public Legal Education/Domestic Violence and Marginalized Groups Bardhë Krasniqi.

The training “Charging and sentencing of Domestic Violence cases” including its material is tailored and aimed at:

• Improving prosecutorial and judicial response to domestic violence cases,
• Understanding the seriousness and complexity of domestic violence cases to contribute and increase consistency in the treatment of domestic violence cases and expand their practice-based resources.
• Safeguard and achieve the charging and sentencing of domestic violence cases proportionate to the gravity of the crime in compliance with international and national legal standards.

The participants highly appreciated this training and benefited both from the professional point of view and from the good experience of the trainer.

The training was delivered under the EUKOJUST project’s specific objective of strengthening access to justice for all citizens in Kosovo, particularly in the field of domestic violence and disadvantaged or marginalized groups – and is in compliance with both the Rule of Law Strategy and Strategy on Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women and their Action plans.