KJC Endorses Manual on Court Management for Kosovo Courts
On Thursday, April 22, the transitional Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) held its 24th meeting which featured the presentation of the Manual on Court Management and Standard Operating Procedures developed in cooperation with USAID’s Justice Support Program Model Courts Initiative.
KJSP Chief of Party, Mike Sheppard, presented the Manual following an introduction by KJC Chair, Enver Peci. The Manual is the first resource on court administration in Kosovo courts developed by Kosovo judges and administrative employees for use in Kosovo courts. The Manual will help current employees to improve how they do their daily work and will help future employees to learn the rules regulating their daily work.
The Manual is the product of more than two years of intensive efforts to test and refine court administration procedural improvements to increase the efficiency and transparency in Kosovo courts. The reforms were piloted through USAID’s Model Courts initiative which is implemented in close cooperation between the Model Courts Consortium, the KJC and the USAID Justice Support Program.
The Manual details step-by-step standard operating procedures in a manner that will optimize the functionality of the courts. Judge Peci, a founding member of the Model Courts Consortium prior to his reappointment to the Supreme Court, praised the Manual as a comprehensive resource which details court structure and infrastructure, human resource and financial management schemes, standardized administrative and operational procedures, and communications and outreach protocols. The promulgation of the Manual will enable the KJC to achieve many of the goals and objectives of its Strategic Plan for 2007-2012.
KJC Member and Special Prosecutor, Sevdije Morina, commented that a similar document would also benefit the operation of the Public Prosecution Offices.
KJC members unanimously endorsed the Manual and requested that its Secretariat initiate implementation of the Manual and that all Court Presidents take necessary measures for implementation.
