Consistent and purposeful measures are being taken to improve the judicial system and increase the efficiency of justice under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev.
The Presidential Decree "On Deepening of reforms in the judicial-legal system" dated 03.04.2019 is an important "road map" in this area and within the framework of its implementation, the legislation has been substantially improved, new specialized courts have been established. As well as by the President's Order on 03.02.2021, Sumgayit Court of Grave Crimes was established, the social protection of judges has been strengthened, and 44 candidates have already been appointed as a result of transparent selection on completing of staff unit with 200 additional judges.
Within the framework of the measures taken, the project "Improving the efficiency and quality of the judicial system in Azerbaijan" of the joint program of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Partnership for Good Governance" is being implemented using the opportunities of international organizations.
Within the framework of the project, trainings were held for judges and court staff, experts analysed the legislation, prepared communication strategies for the courts, access of vulnerable groups to justice, documents on the effectiveness of the enforcement system and other documents.
At the same time, taking into consideration the successful application of the tools and indicators in pilot courts for improving judicial performance of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), it was concluded that this practice could be replicated in other courts.
In this regard, special Road Map was prepared and a three-day online seminar was held with the participation of representatives of the Council of Europe and the European Union, the Judicial Council and the Ministry of Justice, judges and staff of higher, appellate and first instance courts to develop and discuss a Road Map.
Head of the Council of Europe Office in Baku, Ambassador Zoltan Hernyes, CEPEJ President Ramin Gurbanov, Chief of the Organization and Supervision General Department of the Ministry of Justice Elchin Gasimov, Project Coordinator of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Maryam Haji-Ismayilova participated in the opening of the event.
The seminar noted the achievements and innovations in the field of justice, including the adoption of important laws related to the implementation of the Decree dated 03.04.2019, humanization of penal policy, expansion of the use of ICT in court proceedings, the formation of a unified judicial practice and the establishment of effective mechanisms for principal evaluation of judges’ activity has been highly praised by international organizations.
The event also highlighted the importance of the joint project with the European Union and the Council of Europe in terms of increasing the efficiency of the judiciary, managing time in the judicial process, improving the quality of judicial services and evaluating judicial performance.
The online seminar discussed the organization of the implementation of the Road Map for the dissemination of efficiency and quality measurement tools in the judiciary, and presented the Action Plan prepared by international experts and national partners.
Information of the Press Service of the Ministry of Justice
