Strengthening the Quality and Efficiency of Justice in Kosovo* (KoSEJ II)

May 2019 - December 2022

The activities are implemented in the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility of the Western Balkans and Turkey II co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe.

An earlier phase of this programme (July 2016 - May 2019) was supported by the European Union.

The objectives of the Action

The overall objective of the KoSEJ II Action is to continue to improve the day-to-day functioning of the justice system in Kosovo by strengthening its efficiency and quality in accordance with European standards. It provides concrete and targeted support to courts and central authorities by empowering them with the methodology and tools of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) in light also of the recommendations made under the first phase of Action (KoSEJ).

The first specific objective is to ensure that the judiciary works with more reliable and specific statistics in light of KoSEJ recommendations and is empowered to address challenges to the efficiency of justice with CEPEJ standards and tools. This shall include the establishment of a sustainable and consistent methodology and process of data collection and analysis for sound policy making, including with reliable statistics in the new case management system.

The second specific objective is to improve the quality of its services in accordance with CEPEJ standards and tools such as with the use of CEPEJ satisfaction surveys and court coaching projects to address weaknesses identified by users.

The third specific objective is to assist the Kosovo Justice Academy (KJA) improve its training capacities in efficiency and quality according to CEPEJ tools and methodology.

Main beneficiaries and partners

Ministry of Justice, Kosovo Judicial Council, Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, Kosovo Justice Academy, Kosovo Bar Association, Courts and Courts’ users.

* 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".

Link to the page: Towards a better evaluation of the results of judicial reforms in the Western Balkans – “Dashboard Western Balkans“

Assessment reports

First report: In-depth assessment report (English, Albanian, Serbian)
Second Report: Comparative assessment (2014 – 2017) (English / Albanian / Serbian)
Third Report: Comparative assessment (2014, 2017 and 2018)
Fourth report: Comparative Assessment (2014 – 2020) (English, Albanian, Serbian)
IT Report: Information Technology in courts in 2020 (English, Albanian, Serbian)

Translations of CEPEJ documents

CEPEJ glossary (in Albanian / in Serbian)
Councils for Judiciary in EU Countries

Contacts

Council of Europe - Strasbourg

Bureau du Conseil de l'Europe à Pristina (Kosovo)

Stéphanie Lefeuvre

Project manager

Njomza Carkaxhiu
Project assistant

News

Back KoSEJ II - first Steering Committee (SC) meeting in Pristina

The First Steering Committee meeting of the KoSEJ II Action took place on 11 September 2019 at the Council of Europe Office in Pristina. Members and observers had the opportunity to discuss thoroughly key aspects of the Action following the KoSEJ recommendations and made concrete proposals for 2019-2022. They called for flexibility given the forthcoming elections (October 2019) and the Functional Review of the Justice Sector which is working along the lines of the CEPEJ findings. The SC also stressed the importance of working on synergies with key partners including USAID and the future EU Justice Sector Programme to fine tune KoSEJ II activities. These will focus notably on institutionalising the CEPEJ methodology for judicial statistics, the implementation of court coaching projects to improve length of proceedings, the case management system and assisting a new beneficiary: the Kosovo Justice Academy. Civil society was present and was met more thoroughly subsequently to discuss potential cooperation. Bilateral meetings with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice and the Deputy Chair of the KJC also confirmed the scoping of the KoSEJ II.

The Steering Committee Meeting was organised by the KoSEJ II Action “Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Kosovo*”, which is part of the second phase of the programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey", 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".