On 08 December 2021, the 6th Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) of the Project was held online. During the meeting, a briefing on the progress achieved since the end of May 2021 was provided; covering the completion of the Midterm Assessment Report, finalisation of the Court Users’ Satisfaction Survey Report, completion of the working group meetings on training curricula and materials as well as four pilot training activities, organisation of the first round table meeting, publication of the Report on ‘A Comparative Review on Ombuds: Recommendations of Action for the Turkish Ombudsman and Guidelines for the Ombudsman and Public Authorities’ and completion of the final draft version of the Turkish Casebook, preparation of the Report on ADR in German Administrative Judiciary, assessment of pilot judgment procedure, completion of the 4th and final consultation meeting with the Ombudsman Institution and organisation of the second round of the working group meetings on the guidance material (which will be finalised and completed in December 2021), completion of the New Media and Public Relations Action Plan to be revised by the Ministry of Justice, and organisation of the first study visit to France.
The Council of Europe consultants, Mr Ray Burningham and Mr Marco Velicogna presented the results of the court users' (lawyers and citizens) satisfaction survey in selected administrative and tax courts of Turkey and the next steps to be taken to improve court user satisfaction at regional/national levels.
The Project team also presented the proposed list of possible public authorities for improving relations between individuals and the public administration, before initiating the activity to be organised in the next term for reviewing the current practices in public authorities.
Exchanges were made on planning of future activities, and results of the recent addendum for the extension of the Project.
Representatives from the Council of State, the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Directorate for EU Affairs), the Ombudsman Institution, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, the Central Finance and Contracts Unit and the Council of Europe, as well as the presidents of the Regional Administrative Courts acknowledged the progress, supported the extension of the Project. The pilot court presidents also provided input regarding the study visit to France, guidance materials developed by the pilot courts, and media and public relations activities already initiated in some pilot courts.
The next SCM is scheduled to take place in May 2022.
The Joint Project on Improving the Effectiveness of the Administrative Judiciary and Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Council of State is co-funded by the European Union, the Council of Europe and Republic of Turkey, and implemented by the Council of Europe. The Turkish Ministry of Justice - Directorate General for Legal Affairs is the end beneficiary of the Project.
