Latvian-Swiss cooperation programme project "Modernization of Courts in Latvia"

Project sustainability procedures Project sustainability procedures

Project “Modernization of Courts in Latvia” data: Time frame: 2009 – 2013 Total budget: EUR 7 673 464 Financing: 85% - Swiss Confederation, 15% - State budget Project partners: Prison Administration of Latvia, Supreme Court, Ministry of Justice, State Forensic Science Bureau

The project objective: To modernize the courts of Latvia through use of technology and establishment of modern methods in court management

Project sustainability period: Project results shall be operational at least 5 years after project has been implemented – 31st December, 2018

| 2 Summary of project results

| 3 Project sustainability procedures

1. Project Sustainability group has been developed, which is responsible for ensuring regular project sustainability procedures. 2. Project Strategic Planning group has been developed, which is responsible for supervision of project sustainability procedures, decision making regarding the cross border cooperation issues. 3. Responsible person for each project activity has been defined, who: - provides planning activities for concrete activity; - defines concrete tasks and responsibilities for separate tasks within activity; - provides supervision of documents, which should be updated.

| 4 Project sustainability procedures

4. Post-completion visits have been performed to:

 Kurzeme region courts and prisons – District Court, Liepaja Court, Kurzeme Regional Court, Ventspils Court, Tukuma District Court, Liepaja Prison.  region courts and prisons - Rezekne Court, District Court, District Court, Administrative District Court Rezekne Court House, Latgale Regional Court, Daugavgrivas Prison (Daugavpils Unit), Daugavgrivas Prison (Griva Unit), Daugavpils Court, Kraslava District Court, Preili District Court;  Zemgale region courts and prisons - Court, Administrative District Court Jelgava Court House, Zemgale Regional Court, Jelgava Court, District Court, Jekabpils Prison, Zemgale Regional Court Aizkraukle Court House, Court, Jekabpils District Court.

According to verifications made in above-mentioned institutions, all installed equipment is in place and is used according to the project objectives.

| 5 Project sustainability procedures

5. Regularly tasks have been performed to ensure sustainability procedures, for example: - Statistics regarding the videoconference and sound recording system has been compiled; - Additional videoconference equipment is installed in courts as well as trainings for videoconference users (court case secretaries) have been organized; - Performance of information kiosks regularly has been checked; - National court portal www.tiesas.lv regularly has been updated, for example the Calendar for prosecutors has been developed; - Court informative system regularly has been updated, improving its performance and attracting new system users.

| 6 Project sustainability procedures

6. Future developments based on project’s “Modernization of courts in Latvia” results, for example:

Implementation of an Action Plan for strengthening capacity of justice sector to start from the 1st January 2016

- financed from European Social Fund - to be implemented under direct supervision of the Court Administration - in cooperation with Supreme Court, General Prosecutors Office, Ministry of Interior, State Forensic Science Bureau - realized in cooperation and with involvement of the Judicial Council - in the period from 2016 till 2022 - with the view to evolve substantially Justice for Growth concept

| 7 Project sustainability procedures

Directions for action: - Development of professional competence programs, training modules, methodologies, manuals and materials, collection and publication of good practices. - Development of judicial workload issues by promoting alternative dispute resolution methods - Policy implementation and human resource development planning based on the development of unified practices - Overall evaluation of the Latvian Judicial system.

Target audience: Judges and judicial staff, Prosecutors, Investigators, Judicial experts, Lawyers, Bailiffs, Notaries, Mediators, Insolvency practitioners (administrators), Policy makers and implementers, other persons related to judiciary

| 8 Project sustainability procedures

Usage of videoconference (number per month), 01.2013.- 12.2015.

| 9 Project sustainability procedures

Usage of audio recordings 01.2015. – 12.2015.

| 10 Project sustainability procedures

Usage of national court portal www.tiesas.lv 01.2015.-12.2015.

| 11 Exchange of best practice

Exchange of best practices regarding the usage of modern technologies within the court procedures with Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Croatia, Moldova, Egypt, Georgia, Norway, Finland, Sweden.

Organization of Baltic seminars between Latvia, Lithuania (National Courts Administration) and Estonia (Ministry of Justice) in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

| 12 Exchange of best practice

Electronic communication between courts and parties Source: The 2015 EU Justice Scoreboard

| 13 Exchange of best practice

Access to published judgements online (civil and commercial cases, all instances) Source: The 2015 EU Justice Scoreboard

| 14 Success The "Crystal Scales of Justice" Prize

Court Administration of Latvia in 2015 was nominated for “Crystal Scales of Justice” prize and receiveda special mention for the project "Recording of court hearings with technical means"

Created in 2005, the "Crystal Scales of Justice" Prize is a competition aimed at discovering and highlighting innovative and efficient practices used for court organisation or for the conduct of judicial proceedings. These practices are conducted in European jurisdictions (for example, initiatives devised by a court president, a registry, a Bar). They are drawn to the attention of policy-makers and the judicial community so as to improve the functioning of the public justice system. The 2015 European Crystal Scales of Justice prize was organised by the Council of Europe, rewarding innovative judicial practices applied by European judicial institutions, and was awarded on 23 October 2015 in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina), on the occasion of the main event of the European Day of Justice.

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Thank you for your attention!

Agnija Karlsone - Djomkina Head of Project Management and International Cooperation Division Court Administration of Latvia Phone: +371 67063807 E-mail: [email protected]