The international symposium on “Excellence in High Courts of Appeal” was held online on 4 June 2021 with a view to exchanging international knowledge and experience and elaborating on excellence in high courts of appeal. The event brought together views from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) of the United States of America, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), the International Consortium for Court Excellence and the National High Court of Spain with an aim at enriching knowledge among Turkish judicial professionals and the Turkish Court of Cassation.
Mr Osman ATALAY, Chair of the Human Rights Commission and President of the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Turkish Court of Cassation, Mr Cristian URSE, Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara and Mr Mehmet AKARCA, First President of the Court of Cassation of Turkey spoke in the opening of the event. Mr AKARCA referred to public trust as the basis of a country’s judicial system emphasising the importance of the independence and impartiality of courts, the integrity of judges, and the efficiency of judicial procedures, and explained the reforms implemented by the Court of Cassation in view of upholding ethics, transparency and the efficiency of the judiciary. Two consecutive sessions moderated by Mr Eyüp YEŞİL, First Deputy President and Chair of the General Assembly of Criminal Chambers of the Court of Cassation and by Mr Adem ALBAYRAK, First Deputy President and Chair of the General Assembly of Civil Chambers of the Court of Cassation followed the opening remarks.
The symposium was attended by over ninety participants, including presidents of chambers, bench members, rapporteur judges and public prosecutors of the Court of Cassation. Speakers included Mr Fevzi YILDIRIM, Secretary General of the Turkish Court of Cassation, Mr Georg STAWA, Former President of CEPEJ, Mr Daniel HALL, Vice President of the Court Consulting Services Division of the NCSC, Dr Mustafa SALDIRIM, Deputy Secretary General of the Court of Cassation, Hon. Robert J. TORRES, President-Elect of the American Judges Association’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors and Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Guam and Mr Manuel FERNÁNDEZ-LOMANA GARCÍA, Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) Representative from Spain and Senior Judge of the 2nd Section Administrative Chamber of the National High Court of Spain.
This Project is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe. The end beneficiary of the Project is the Court of Cassation. The Central Finance and Contracts Unit is the contracting authority of this Project.
