On 25 September 2019, a high level seminar on European Commission for the efficiency of justice (CEPEJ) standards and tools took place at the request of Ms Naureda Llagami, Chair of the High Judicial Council, for all members of the High Judicial Council (HJC). The objective was to raise awareness of Council’s members on CEPEJ standards so that they can properly and fruitfully rely on them when addressing the reform and immediate priorities.

This important event was an opportunity for Mr Ramin Gurbanov, Chair of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and Mr Jasa Vrabec, Chair of the CEPEJ Working Group on evaluation of judicial systems (GT-EVAL) to provide an overview of relevant CEPEJ standards with concrete examples on good practices . Specific focus was given to judicial statistics which should be collected and analysed with a consistent methodology. Examples of measures to improve the quality of justice were also made, in particular court satisfactions surveys and leaflets on courts procedures for the public.

Ms Marina Naumovska, CEPEJ expert and Ms Anne Sanders, scientific expert to the Consultative Council of European Judges, presented and discussed targeted topics, respectively, Cyberjustice and the implementation of the new scheme of the evaluation of judges with qualitative criteria.

This fruitful event stands as a new step in the collaboration between Albanian authorities and the CEPEJ to make further progress with the reform. A group of CEPEJ international experts will come back to Tirana in October 2019 to continue to provide its assistance to the HJC as well as courts.

This activity was organised by the SEJ III Action “Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Albania” which is part of the "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey II", co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.