Work in this thematic area focuses on prisons and police (including human rights in policing, healthcare in prisons and safeguards against torture and ill-treatment), human rights standards in the judiciary (focusing on enhancing the application of case-law of the European Court of Human Rights), the efficiency of justice systems (with a focus on analysing judicial statistics to optimise court administrations) and/or legal co-operation (which concentrate on increasing the individual independence of judges and prosecutors and the accountability of the judicial system).

Back Western Balkan judicial institutions aim for efficient judicial systems through digital transformation

Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina 23 May 2025
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Western Balkan judicial institutions aim for efficient judicial systems through digital transformation

Judicial institutions from across the Western Balkans joined forces in Neum to explore how digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) can modernise court systems, improve access to justice, and ensure greater transparency.

Organised by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), the 3rd regional workshop under the ICT Hub initiative brought together representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, and Serbia, along with CEPEJ digitalisation and AI experts and key institutional partners.

This regional platform aims to support the harmonisation of digital practices and facilitate peer learning in the digital transformation of justice systems, in line with European standards.

Key topics of the workshop included integration of AI and digital tools into judicial workflows, improving case management systems (CMS) for greater efficiency and sustainability, and ensuring anonymisation and online publication of judicial decisions.

This activity was organised by CEPEJ action “HFIII: HF 4 - Strengthening the Efficiency and Quality of Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiHSEJ)”, which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye".

 

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

Actions under theme i: ensuring justice
  • Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Albania - Phase III  
  • Supporting enforcement of judicial decisions and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania           
  • Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Albania  
  • Strengthening human rights treatment of detained persons based on European standards and best practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina  
  • Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Kosovo* -  Phase II  
  • Accountability of the judicial system in Montenegro - Phase II  
  • Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro  
  • Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro  
  • Strengthening independence and accountability of the judiciary in Serbia  
  • Strengthening the effective legal remedies to human rights violations in Serbia  
  • Enhancing the human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Serbia  
  • Supporting enhanced access to higher quality Free Legal Aid services in North Macedonia  
  • Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the external oversight mechanism in North Macedonia                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  • Supporting the implementation and reporting on the Action Plan on Human Rights in Turkey  
  • Judicial training institutes for Quality and Sustainability in the Western Balkans 
  • Initiative for legal certainty in the Western Balkans  
  • Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans  
  • Towards a better evaluation of the results of judicial reform efforts in the Western Balkans  
  • Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) in the Western Balkans 
  • PACE cooperation with the parliamentary assemblies with a view to achieving legislative improvements in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia 

*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.