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Description
This project addresses the common European challenges in the justice and home affairs area. Discussions about the problems related to the judiciary in Europe often mention citizens’ mistrust in the courts and the general misconception that courts and judges are not accountable to the society. One of the reasons of such negative attitude is the lack of transparency regarding the criteria and procedure of the selection, evaluation and/or promotion of judges.
The aim of our project is to create an innovative, scientifically based, transparent, unbiased and flexible multi-dimensional model of competencies required of a judge and innovative measurement methodology as established by the independent researchers in collaboration with the judiciary and civil society. This would contribute in improving citizens’ perception of the courts’ system and increasing their trust in the judiciary.
The developed materials and scientific guidelines how to use the new methodology will be translated to the languages of the beneficiary countries and published in English at the project website for the free use for any other European and non-European countries, which do not participate in the project as beneficiaries’. The creation of the universal system of competencies and methodology will enable the comparability between the countries and give a boost to the possible standardisation and portability of project results.
Our direct target groups are candidates to the judicial positions, judges, various self-government organisations of courts, national courts and courts’ administration institutions. The end beneficiaries of the project are the judiciary and the whole society. Both will ultimately benefit from the project due to the improved transparency and effectiveness of the selection, evaluation or promotion of judges.
Summary of project results
The goal of Project “Portrait of a Judge - a multi-dimensional model of competencies to be measured during the procedures of selection, evaluation and promotion of judges” was to provide a model of competences, standards for procedures in selecting, evaluating and promoting judges that ensures transparency, unbiased approach, non-discrimination and inclusion and that any European country could tailor-suit to its own needs. It was needed in order to correspond to the acute current society’s and modern judiciary’s need to ensure the transparency and accountability of the judiciary to the society.
the project team, consisteing of academics, judges and NGO members, created an innovative, scientifically based, transparent and unbiased multi-dimensional model of judges’ competencies with the corresponding methodology and tools (concrete examples and templates ready for use (e.g. electronic self-evaluation tool for judges)) to be used during the judges’ selection, evaluation and promotion procedures. All tools, templates and self-evaluation tool are available on the project webpage judgeportrait.eu . Main project material is in English language, but all tools and templates are also translated into the national languages of all beneficiary countries.
The developed model also included the modules of special competencies and corresponding measuring methodology for the managers of courts. Working with this unbiased model in each beneficairy country (by comparing existing system and initiating changes where needed) strengthened public trust by ensuring the society that there is a transparent system where only the best candidates whose multi-dimensional competencies allow them to achieve judicial excellence are selected as judges and promoted.
Project results included 3 SWOT analysis of beneficiary countries. Based on SWOT results the adaptations to the developed tools and templates were made. The Project Partners organised three international conferences, round table discussions and pilot project on using the self-evalution tool and other templates. Project experts also provided strategic guidelines to the national judiciaries on how to make necessary changes in the policy/regulation area.6 national policies/laws were influenced by our project results.Two sientific books in English were accepted for publishing by a prominent international publishing house of Walters Kluwer.
Summary of bilateral results
The project Portrait of a Judge benefitted strongly by having as an expertise partner a very experienced scientific partner - Oslo University (Norway). The scientific excellence of the expertise partner prof. Mads Andenas (a prominent scientist in Norway who also has teaching and research experience in the UK), together with his assistants in the project, widened the view of beneficiary countries. Oslo University represented in a unique way the approach of the old Western country, in which the system of selection, evaluation and promotion of judges is based on tradition, a high level of trust in the society and great collaboration between all state powers. This perspective was new for all beneficiary countries: Lithuania, Czech Republic and Albania, which have undergone major shifts towards western democratic ideals and especially towards Rule of law comparatively not so long ago. The constant advice of the expertise partner allowed us to focus on what can be achieved in a balanced way. As countries which first needed to tackle corruption in the judiciary and suffered from low trust of the society in the judiciary all beneficiary partners at the beginning of the meeting showed a tendency towards a higher level of regulation (focusing too much towards proceedings on paper, but not on practices in real life and changes of the working culture in the judiciaries and other stakeholders. The balanced approach of the expertise partner allowed beneficairy partners to achieve more sustainable and transferable results. The bilateral cooperation resulted in common presentations and discussions at international conferences and the co-publishing of two books in English about project results with the prominent publisher Walters Kluwer. Additional common scientific articles are developing, and the scientific cooperation between MRU as Lead partner and Oslo University is strengthened.