European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ)

Francesco DEPASQUALE, President of the CEPEJ since January 2023

Dear colleagues and friends,

It was with great pride and sense of responsibility that I took over the role of President of CEPEJ in December 2022, when the Plenary, held on the 6th and 7th December 2022, voted me in.

CEPEJ had just recently celebrated 20 years since its creation by the Committee of Ministers. During these years, CEPEJ had grown exponentially : from a new player in the field of Justice to a fully fledged organized entity, recognized world wide for its various wide-ranging and thoroughly researched works, such as the well established Evaluation Report of judicial systems, which had its 10th edition published last year, the Guidelines on Time Management, or the pioneering European Ethical Charter on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Judicial Systems, which ushered in the concept of subjecting AI Systems operating in judicial systems to basic principles which must be adhered to for them to be deemed acceptable.

The disruption brought about by Covid-19 in March 2020 and ensuing difficulties experienced by the Courts all over the 46 Member States proved to be both challenging and an opportunity for CEPEJ, which managed to produce several timely and relevant tools for the Courts, such as those on the Guidelines on Use of Video Conferencing, prepared by the newly formed Working Group on cyberjustice and artificial intelligence, or the Declaration on lessons learnt and Challenges faced by the Judiciary during and after the Covid-19 Pandemic, adopted during a virtual plenary session which took place in June 2020.

The years after the pandemic were further shaken by the invasion of Ukraine by the Federation of Russia, which is obviously not only tragic for the affected population, but has also had further consequences beyond Ukraine’s boarders, including serious financial constraints on the various member states and their judicial systems.

In the light of difficulties being experienced by several courts throughout the Member States, CEPEJ embarked in the development of a set of practical tools to support States in setting up and implementing measures to improve the level of efficiency of justice, and in particular to prevent and fight backlogs. This tool is intended to provide a concrete response to the requirements for accession to the European Union for the new candidate countries.

The development of artificial intelligence for various systems used by courts and other related environments in recent years have led CEPEJ to create the European Cyberjustice Network as well as a new Resource Centre on Cyberjustice and Artificial Intelligence. In the context of the digital transformation of the judiciary, this Resource Centre aims to serve as a publicly accessible focal point for reliable information on AI systems and other key cyberjustice tools.

It is augured that all this work will ensure that CEPEJ remains at the forefront in the development of concrete tools and guidelines intended to improve the efficiency and quality of justice whilst ensuring their relevance in today’s ever-evolving world.

The evaluation report and its online Dynamic Database of European Judicial Systems will continue to be enriched to reflect the needs and realities of all judicial systems, so as to maintain its position as a unique tool for professionals, academics, researchers and the media.

I am particularly proud to lead a diverse and talented team of experts who are dedicated to upholding the Rule of Law, protecting human rights and fostering judicial efficiency. Our collective expertise spans throughout diverse legal domains and realities and we will strive to develop innovative tools, guidelines, and standards that support efficient, fair, and accessible justice systems across Europe.

I am also deeply committed to promoting collaboration and cooperation, both among our member states, as well as with other competent bodies within the Council of Europe, and together, we will be able to engage in fruitful exchanges of best practices, share experiences, and learn from each other's successes and challenges.

As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, I am confident that together, we can make a positive impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of justice systems across Europe.

April 2023

Francesco DEPASQUALE

President of CEPEJ

• Biography

Bureau members from 1st January 2023