Prishtina, 7 Dec 2019 – The Judicial Conference, which brought together judges, prosecutors, lawyers and other people from across the justice system in Kosovo, closed. In the meantime, it was urged to increase transparency and accountability towards building new work strategies and developing reforms to the challenges of the judiciary.

KJC Chair, Skender Çoçaj, said that greater efforts are needed by all to improve the quality of functioning of the courts, reinforcing public confidence, being aware that the judiciary is a pillar of democracy for our country.

We will continue to work towards achieving our goals of having a better judiciary and all our activity will be focused on an independent, accessible, fair and efficient judicial system for all, that is accountable for its work, functional and adheres to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, competency, professionalism and transparency in order to provide our citizens with justice”, said Çoçaj.

The president of the Supreme Court of Kosovo, Enver Peci, has said that there is progress in the justice system, but corruption remains a challenge. “One of the main problems facing the justice system today is the fight against corruption – an ugly and extremely damaging phenomenon for the state of Kosovo. In this regard, the results so far are not satisfactory and concrete results are required, ”Peci said.

Acting Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri said the Rule of Law is a matter of national character that overpasses its politics and day-to-day life. “You are the guarantee of the rule of law, you are the guarantee of equality before the law, independence and the separation of powers, and the trust of the citizens in justice depends exclusively on your independent work,” Tahiri said.

The Chair of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, Bahri Hyseni, said the judicial system needs to be supported continuously. “The need to support the justice system must first be addressed by the local institutions, and then by the international ones, because by uniting and working together, we manage to strengthen the justice system,” Hyseni said.

The Head of Rule of Law from the EU Office in Kosovo, Cezary Michalczuk, said that the European Union is trying to help Kosovo, where it is currently assisting the justice system by implementing the National Central Criminal Record System (NCCR) project, which aims to digitalize old criminal records.

OSCE Mission to Kosovo Ambassador Jan Braathu said the justice system could not be functional and accountable if there is no trust of citizens. “I want to congratulate you on your work so far because there is progress but more work needs to be done in your field. You, judges, hold one of the most important positions in the country. Your dedication, your integrity, will continue to be tested and challenged daily. Your influence goes beyond the judiciary, because without the rule of law, there can only be chaos, and in such an environment, none of us wants to live. I encourage you to be honest, it’s your job that makes the difference”, said Braathu

Deputy Chairman of the High Judicial Council of Albania, Maksim Qoku, thanked Kosovo for the hospitality and assistance provided beyond the expected values, highly appreciating the participation in such conferences.

The president of Montenegro’s Supreme Court, Vesna Medenica, said judges have the most difficult role, but the profession is also a privilege. “By judicial profession we cannot say we have judicial talent, but we have to work hard so that justice is in our hands. The judge should be respected more than he should be, he should be more trained than knowledgeable”, said Medenica.

Acting Chairman of the Supreme Court of Northern Macedonia Faik Arslani said that when he goes to a country, he does not ask whether there are good laws, but whether the same are implemented. “We insist that the reforms be effective so that there is legal certainty, because this aspect is a prerequisite for respecting human rights,” Arslani said.

Regarding the central topic, KJC Chairperson Skender Çoçaj emphasized that the judicial system has made considerable progress recently, referring to the objectives and challenges that have reflected the work of the judiciary during this year, including the establishment of a Special Department within the framework of Basic Court in Prishtina and Court of Appeal, serious crime combating, implementation of CMIS and NCCR projects, preparation of draft regulations and administrative instructions, regular updating of the judiciary website, recruitment process for new judges, cooperation with the Academy of Justice on mandatory and continuous training that judges have attended, budget review and its administration, creating conditions for the use of the E-property electronic application, repair and maintenance of court facilities, translation of materials into the official languages ​​of Kosovo , compiling the Annual Plan of Audit, cooperation with international partners, and Memorandums of Understanding whose main purpose was to support, increase transparency and accountability.

In the following, the President of the Supreme Court, Enver Peci spoke more about the Punitive Policy and the challenges faced by the judges of the Supreme Court, saying that measuring and assigning different sentences for roughly the same criminal offenses, under equal circumstances and conditions. , besides the problem it causes us, the same impacts negatively on the public by creating other persuasion. ”

The President of the Court of Appeal, Hasan Shala, discussed civil justice and said that there will never be complete justice in Kosovo unless the efficiency in resolving civil cases is increased. According to him, the resolution of cases in civil disputes has been going on for years and that citizens are tired of this expectation. Shala called on the KJC to step up efforts to find solutions to thousands of unresolved cases of this kind, and propose that 2020 be a year of civil justice.

US Embassy Representative Corey Smith introduced the Program “Justice Abroad” of Wake Forest University, which is a collaboration between the US Embassy and this university. The program provides US scholarships for Kosovo judges and prosecutors, which it encourages to apply to share best practices and experience.

In the last part of the Conference, there were panel discussions by the Ombudsman, Hilmi Jashari, who discussed the works, innovations and challenges of the Ombudsman Institution in 2019, judge of the Basic Court in Pristina, Fatime Dërmaku, discussed the realization of women’s rights in property, and a presentation by the President of the Association of Women Judges and Prosecutors of Kosovo, Hidajete Gashi, on the Kosovo Forum of Women Judges and Prosecutors.