From 4-6 November 2024, a workshop was held in Istog, bringing together members of the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC), along with presidents of the Basic Courts, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The aim of the workshop was to explore approaches to simplify civil procedure and reduce case processing times in line with the priorities established in the mid-term review of the “Strategy on Rule of Law, 2021-2026”.

On the basis of European best practices presented by CEPEJ experts for managing the backlog of civil cases, participants had the opportunity to consider possible improvements in court organisation, early case management techniques, the use of electronic decision-making tools and templates. In addition, participants were able to appreciate the importance of preparatory sessions before hearings, strict compliance with procedural rules and enhanced coordination between the parties. The need to use statistical time-series to identify case trends and to focus on the collective performance of court rather than the individual performance of judges was also stressed.

The Chairman of the Kosovo Judicial Council praised the efforts of the KJC and the courts in handling the large volume of incoming and pending civil cases. He also highlighted that further improvements are achievable in particular through the simplification of procedures for small claims as part of the planned Civil Procedure Code revision, better preparation of hearings, introduction of e-summonses and limiting the number of first instances retrials.

This activity is organised by the KoSEJ III action “Strengthening the Quality and Efficiency of Justice in Kosovo”, which is part of the joint programme entitled "Horizontal Facility of the Western Balkans and Turkey III", co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.